The Breaking Point
by DragonSorceress22
Summary: Continuation of "More than Enemies," "One Week Later," "Loose Ends," and "Otogakure." The time has come for Tsunade to make a choice. Drama ensues. Rated M for stuff.
1. Chapter 1

_**The Breaking Point**_

_The following story takes place just over a year after More than Enemies._

**Chapter One—Masquerade**

Tsunade pushed her final stack of paperwork aside and sighed. Then a calendar that had been previously covered caught her eye.

"Ugh." She stood up and left her office, brushing past Shizune in the hallway without a word.

"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune called. "Where are you going?"

"I'm taking a walk," Tsunade replied shortly, and she hurried from the building before Shizune could respond.

Jiraiya spotted Tsunade soon after. She was walking more quickly than normal and headed, unmistakably to Jiraiya, toward her favorite out-of-the-way bar. He ran ahead and waited there for her to arrive. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Tsunade rounded the corner.

When she saw Jiraiya waiting for her, Tsunade hesitated and almost turned around. Then Jiraiya was beside her, grinning and saying, "Hey, Tsunade, what's the matter?"

She crossed her arms and looked away but her eyes found the fliers hung on a nearby fence and her expression told Jiraiya enough.

"Ah, the Leaf Festival masquerade, huh? It's tomorrow night." He looked back at Tsunade and laughed a little at the scowl set on her face. "So don't go!" he said simply.

"I'm not allowed to skip it," she grumbled. "The Hokage is required to be there."

"So play hooky! You've never had a problem with that before. All those little trips out of the village…"

Tsunade's hand snapped into a fist but what he said next distracted her from the imminent attack.

"But I wouldn't make such a big deal out of it. I hear someone's got a good surprise planned for you. You might have fun.

"Anyway, I've got more research to do so I'm afraid I can't stay and have a drink with you." He headed off down the road but called back, "See you at the festival, Tsunade!"

Tsunade turned back to the bar. "I hate surprises," she muttered.

[X]

The night of the festival, everyone gathered at the Hokage's Residence for the dance. Tsunade was standing by the wall, watching Jiraiya flirt noisily with every girl in the room. He had just given Anko one of his special compliments, earning a well-deserved punch which the kunoichi delivered with a smile, when a man in an ANBU mask walked up to Tsunade. He held out his hand to her but she shook her head.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm not much for dancing."

"Not even with me?" the man said. Tsunade gasped at the familiar voice and stared, dumbfounded, as a gloved hand reached up and tilted the mask to the side briefly.

"Orochimaru," she whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, my love," he said quietly.

"Are you crazy? You're going to get caught!" Tsunade looked around nervously but no one seemed interested let alone concerned about the ANBU member speaking with the Hokage.

"Don't be ridiculous, Tsunade," Orochimaru said. "I would never let myself get caught. Now, come here." He took her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor.

"Orochimaru, what are you—?"

He put his finger to her lips. "Just dance with me."

They fell into step with the other couples already in the midst of a waltz but Tsunade still seemed reluctant.

"What's wrong?" Orochimaru asked as they glided through the steps. Tsunade laughed lightly.

"Honestly? It's this kimono." She tugged at the sleeve of the traditional long silk garment. "I haven't worn a skirt since I was sixteen, much less something like this. It's driving me crazy."

Orochimaru laughed and Tsunade was taken a little by surprise at how pure it sounded. "You look beautiful," he said, then added, "Of course, if it's bothering you that much we could go somewhere more private and—"

"Stop! Right there! I won't have you sounding like Jiraiya," she scolded, but she was smiling and moved a little closer to him as they continued to dance.

[X]

Orochimaru stayed with Tsunade for nearly the whole masquerade, Jiraiya joining them on and off throughout the night. The three of them got along as well as or better than before their three-man squad had fallen apart years ago. It was nothing new to them, though. It had been almost a year since the Sannin had reunited to face three of the Akatsuki together, when Jiraiya found out about Orochimaru and Tsunade's secret friendship. They had parted ways at the end of the battle without certainty that all three would ever be together again, but just a week after that parting, Tsunade had sent a team to eliminate Kabuto, only to find that Orochimaru had defeated them. She disappeared from the village that same night and learned that Orochimaru had not only escaped the cave-in, but had also acquired a new body since then. Their secret meetings started up again and their friendship quickly grew into something more. From time to time, Jiraiya would join them as well and soon it was as though the Sannin had never disbanded.

There was just short of an hour left that Tsunade was required to be at the masquerade when Orochimaru left.

"Even as an ANBU, it would be suspicious for us to leave together," he explained to her when she objected. "It's bad enough I've hardly left your side all this time."

"Compromise?" Tsunade said. "Meet me outside the village after?"

Orochimaru smiled behind the mask and nodded before vanishing.

The end of the event seemed to drag on forever. Tsunade's good mood was the only thing sparing everyone from her temper and annoyance with the formalities since she had nothing left to distract her. Jiraiya had left even before Orochimaru, and there was no one else there that she wanted to talk to. When it finally ended, she headed straight for her room, explaining quite convincingly to Shizune that she was exhausted and did not want to be disturbed at all. A quick change of clothes later, she was out the window and headed for the village gate.

[X]

**Author's Note**

Okay guys, I know I don't typically do this, but this chapter is so ridiculous I couldn't help myself XD. I did warn you all in the previous author's note, but when I re-read this just now… I had forgotten just how bad it was! It started out as a madlib and was too hilarious for me to fix up, but chapter two will see things back to normal… maybe I better post it right away as an act of good faith lol. Okay, that I will, and from now on, I shall maintain my usual silence and let you all enjoy :)

~DS


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two—The First Fracture**

Tsunade had hardly been waiting a minute at the meeting place when someone came up behind her and embraced her. His body pressed against her back as he leaned down and whispered, "Good to see you again, Tsunade." She closed her eyes, enjoying the sound of his voice, but a moment later she felt him grow tense and before she knew what was happening, her feet left the ground.

Orochimaru jumped back, taking Tsunade with him, and three kunai struck the ground where they had been standing. An ANBU ninja named Inko jumped down from the trees.

"Let go of her, now!" she ordered.

Orochimaru obeyed and stepped away from Tsunade. Tsunade turned to look at him, terrified for a moment that he might not be in disguise, but he was still dressed as an ANBU, and more than that, his distinctive white skin was completely covered as well, and his long hair was tied back. Even Tsunade, who knew who was wearing the mask, would not have guessed that this man was Orochimaru if she had not heard his voice. She was relieved until Inko spoke again.

"Who are you?" she demanded of Orochimaru. He did not answer. "Take off your mask," she said. He did not move.

Inko then addressed Tsunade. "Lady Hokage, please move away from him. I don't think this guy is really a Leaf ninja."

Tsunade ignored her and continued to stare at Orochimaru, silently and desperately hoping that this would not come to a fight. Though she knew Orochimaru had killed many Leaf ninja before, she had never actually been present during the battles. If she ever were, she would have to choose a side, and that was not a decision she was ready to make.

"Lady Tsunade!"

Inko's shout jarred her, pulling her from her thoughts and back to the situation at hand. Tsunade took a few steps back, moving away from them both. Inko focused again on Orochimaru and demanded once more that he remove his mask. "This is your last warning," she said, reaching for another kunai.

To Tsunade's alarm, Orochimaru sighed and reached for the mask. She turned away and closed her eyes. _This is it, _she thought. _I don't know what to do!_

Orochimaru removed the mask. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm a little confused. Have I done something wrong?"

Tsunade's eyes snapped open. The voice was unfamiliar. Slowly she turned back to the man who had been holding her a minute earlier. His long black hair was the same, but every other feature was that of a stranger. She simultaneously sighed in relief and shivered uncomfortably.

"Who are you?" Inko asked again.

"My name is Tenshi," he lied. "I'm from Iwagakure. I was just visiting for the festival. You see, I'm an old friend of Tsunade's." He smiled at his "old friend" and she caught a familiar, scheming glint in his eyes. She smiled as well.

"Yes, he came all this way to see me," Tsunade said lightly. "Surely you saw us talking at the festival dance? It's been so long since we've seen each other; we must have spent most of the night together."

"Why are you impersonating an ANBU?" Inko asked sharply. Tsunade looked to Orochimaru, anxious for his excuse.

"What, this?" He held up the mask. "It's just a costume. It was a masquerade, wasn't it? I certainly didn't mean to cause any…" He locked eyes with Tsunade. "…Trouble."

Tsunade suddenly felt frustrated to the point of anger with the unfortunate situation. Everything had been going so well until this happened. She rounded on the intrusive ANBU member.

"As you can surely see by now, there's no problem here," Tsunade said. "You should go back to your duties."

"But Lady Hokage—" Inko objected.

"That's an order! There's no problem here, and if there was, I could handle it myself."

"…Yes, Lady Hokage." Inko shot one last suspicious glance at "Tenshi" from behind her mask and disappeared.

Tsunade and Orochimaru waited a few seconds, remaining still and silent before Tsunade grabbed Orochimaru's wrist and began pulling him away from the village.

"Wait, Tsunade, what are you doing?" Orochimaru said as he ran after her to avoid having his arm pulled off. His voice already sounded more normal. Tsunade stopped abruptly and turned around, pulling Orochimaru forward so that he ran into her. "Shh," she whispered, holding him close. "Keep the disguise on for now." She pulled away and continued running. Orochimaru followed.

They ran on in silence away from Konoha until Orochimaru realized they were not yet alone. "Tsunade…" he said quietly.

"I know," she murmured back. Inko hadn't given up so easily. She was following silently and at a careful distance, but the two Sannin were not fooled. Orochimaru started forming hand signs, careful to keep them out of view of their pursuer. But Tsunade saw them.

"…Don't—" she said, but he cut her off.

"Don't worry. I'm not doing anything bad." He summoned a small snake and sent it off into the trees away from them, but not before attaching an exploding tag to its back. A minute later the tag ignited and a small explosion shook the trees a short distance off to the side of where they were running. At the same time, Orochimaru grabbed Tsunade and stopped her. Without a word, he held her body against his and they began to sink into the ground, gone before the explosion had dissipated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three—Lost Time**

The two Sannin resurfaced a good distance away from both the village and their distracted pursuer. Tsunade staggered, disoriented by the jutsu, but Orochimaru held onto her until she could regain her footing.

"That was awful," she said weakly.

"Sorry," he said. "But it got us away from her."

Tsunade looked up at him. He looked and sounded like himself again. She clung to him an extra moment, just staring at him.

"Tsunade?"

"Huh? Oh." Embarrassed, she let go and looked around. As she did, she found she was actually very familiar with their surroundings. Only a short distance away was the hidden entrance to the small, unfinished hideout Orochimaru had once abandoned. Though it was still not nearly as massive as his other hideouts, it had been expanded and furnished since their meeting there almost a year ago. Tsunade smiled.

"Come on," she said, and once again she grabbed his wrist and hurried off, pulling him behind her.

"Heh, Tsunade," Orochimaru loosened her grip and stopped. "There's no need to rush." He walked up next to her and they continued toward the hideout at a slower pace.

Tsunade could not help herself. It had been so long since she'd seen him that every few minutes she would sneak glances at him out of the corner of her eye, but he soon took notice of this and smirked. She looked away again hurriedly.

"So, what was all that about?" she asked, hoping to distract him. "That was quite the story you came up with back there. Not your usual way of handling things."

"…I didn't want to upset you," he answered. Tsunade stared at him again, hardly even noticing that they had reached the entrance. Orochimaru performed the jutsu to reveal the stairwell and they descended it in silence.

When they reached the bottom, the opening above them sealed itself and they were thrown into nearly absolute darkness. Only a dim light shone from under the door at the bottom of the stairs.

Orochimaru felt a hand on his chest and he was suddenly pushed back against the wall. Tsunade's body pressed against his and their lips touched softly. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her as she kissed him more intently, their time apart driving her enthusiasm, desperate to make up for lost time. She soon began trailing gentle kisses down his neck.

"Tsunade…" Orochimaru breathed.

Tsunade stopped and stroked his cheek lightly, staring into his eyes—just barely visible in the faint light. "I missed you," she said, smiling.

Orochimaru put his hand under her chin and tilted her face up. "I missed you, too," he murmured and kissed her again. Tsunade pressed closer fervently, easing his lips apart, her tongue venturing out boldly. Orochimaru laughed a little and gently pushed her back.

"Tsunade…" he sighed. "You can't stay."

Even in the darkness, her hurt expression was unmistakable. He stepped closer again and held her head carefully against his chest. "Believe me, I'd love to take you away… to keep you…" he muttered into her hair. "But you can't just disappear into the night with 'Tenshi of Iwagakure,'" he explained.

Tsunade gave a small laugh. "Nice name, by the way," she said.

He smirked but pulled away from her again, holding her shoulders and looking into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Tsunade… Very sorry. But you know I'm right."

"Hmph." Tsunade turned away from him and started up the stairs. "Shows what you know," she said sourly. "I'm staying."

"…Tsunade?"

"Open this for a minute, would you? I need to take care of something."

Orochimaru hesitated for a moment but formed the seals and opened the passage to the surface.

Tsunade stepped outside and bit her thumb. Blood welled up and she quickly executed the summoning jutsu. Katsuyu appeared, but only a small clone division of her.

"Could you go to Konoha and find Jiraiya for me? Let him know I need an excuse for the next couple of days," Tsunade told her.

Katsuyu looked around Tsunade at the long stairwell and Orochimaru waiting at the bottom of it. "…Lady Tsunade… Please, I must insist that you stop this. He is dangerous," Katsuyu whispered.

Tsunade crouched down and whispered back, "I'm fine, Katsuyu. How many times do I have to say it?"

"But Milady, the village, and your duties…"

"You should know better than to use something like that to convince me by now, Katsuyu. Think of it this way; he'd be much more dangerous if I denied him, so do your part and help me out here."

Katsuyu squirmed in place, obviously uncomfortable with what Tsunade was asking of her. "Look," Tsunade continued. "All I'm asking you to do is tell Jiraiya where I am. Isn't it better that someone knows? Especially if you think it's so dangerous…"

"Milady," Katsuyu began resolutely. "I really wish you wouldn't, but if you insist on staying, then I shall tell Master Jiraiya. I only hope he'll see reason." Tsunade straightened up and smirked.

"Be careful, Lady Tsunade," Katsuyu said, and she began to make her way to Konoha.

Tsunade turned back to the hideout and descended the stairs. The door at the bottom was open now, flooding the landing with light. Orochimaru was waiting for her there. As she reached him, the entrance sealed itself once more and she wrapped her arms around him, enjoying the feeling of holding him with no worries left to distract her. He kissed the top of her head and whispered with a smirk, "'A couple days,' is that right?"

Tsunade smiled and took his hands. She began walking backwards toward the open door, gently pulling him along. The circular room that had once been empty had since been made into a bedroom. She led him through the doorway and he closed the door behind them, a devious grin on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four—Seeds of Doubt**

After hours of unsuccessfully attempting to recover Tsunade's trail, Inko returned to the village. The sun was just rising and she was exhausted from staying up all night, but when she noticed Yamato and Kakashi on her way home, she impulsively decided to stop.

"Tenzo-senpai!" she called, running up to them. "I need to talk to you—both of you if you'll listen. It's important."

"What's going on?" Yamato said but Inko was barely listening.

"Not here. This shouldn't be overheard. Follow me." She rushed off and Yamato followed.

Kakashi sighed. "This is going to be trouble, I know it… I should just go home…" He gave another little sigh of regret and headed after them.

They stopped once they had gotten away from the busier parts of town where shops were starting to open and Inko began to explain.

"It's about the Hokage," she said. "I'm afraid she might be under the control of some kind of jutsu."

"What? Why? What happened?" Kakashi asked quickly.

"It was last night, after the festival. There was an ANBU there but something was off about him and after the masquerade I saw Tsunade just outside the village. He showed up and I confronted them but she ordered me away and took off with him…"

"The Hokage's gone?" Yamato said, barely controlling the level of his voice out of surprise.

"She left…?" Kakashi muttered.

"It might have been a genjutsu," Inko continued. "She was acting strange and it seemed like she was seeing something different from what I was seeing."

"That could be," Yamato said. "The Fifth's strength is incredible but she doesn't have much talent in genjutsu."

With this encouragement, Inko found herself suddenly speaking all of her doubts. "What should we do?" she said. "Her behavior is getting more and more suspicious. All those trips outside the village? She almost always goes alone—Jiraiya's the only one who's ever gone with her. And I looked into it—no one seems to know exactly where she goes."

"You're over-thinking it," Kakashi said, cutting her rant short. "Even if she's not going to do work, knowing the Fifth, she probably just needs to get out of the village once in a while and doesn't want Shizune and the Elders giving her a hard time about it."

"Then why is she impossible to follow when she leaves?" Inko blurted out. "It's like she disappears!"

Yamato and Kakashi exchanged glances. "…You tried to follow her?" Yamato said.

"Uh… well—"

"Inko, I know you mean well but you can't just decide these things on your own. You'll get in a lot of trouble that way."

"Tenzo-senpai…"

Yamato put his hand on her shoulder. "Listen, I'll look into it a little too, but you have to promise me you won't go off on your own again. These are some pretty serious issues you're bringing up—it's best not to act prematurely."

Inko nodded. In truth, this reply was what she was hoping for. He had not dismissed her suspicions and now she felt she had someone on her side. It strengthened her resolve.

"Thank you, Senpai, Kakashi," she said, bowing slightly. "Excuse me." She took off again and Kakashi turned to Yamato.

"What do you think?" he said.

"…I don't know," Yamato answered. "But if Lady Tsunade's really gone and all Inko said is true… it's worth looking into."

"Well, I'll leave that up to you," Kakashi said, already walking away. "But if any big trouble comes up, you know where to find me." Then he was gone. Yamato sighed.

"Thanks a lot, Senpai," he muttered.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five—Renewed Determination**

Inko hadn't gone far before she saw another pair that caught her eye. She stopped immediately and stared. Jiraiya was crouched down, whispering with the clone division of Katsuyu that Tsunade had sent to him. Inko hid herself immediately.

_That's Tsunade's summon… Something's going on… _She watched them until Katsuyu suddenly disappeared. _Should I say something to him…? _Inko hesitated then turned away. _No. For all I know, he's got something to do with this, too. I shouldn't trust him._

She waited for him to leave then took out a kunai and made a small cut on her thumb. _Jiraiya can't summon those slugs, so she must have been sent from wherever Tsunade is now. _She formed the hand signs for a summoning and pressed her palm to the ground. A mouse appeared in a puff of white smoke and Inko held her hand out to it. It crawled into her palm and she carried it over to where Katsuyu had disappeared.

"There was a slug summon here," she told the mouse. "I want you to pick up its trail and trace it back to where it came from."

"Right!" The little mouse leapt from her hand and carefully inspected the ground around them. "It's this way, it is!" it said, and Inko followed it as it ran away from the village, following Katsuyu's trail.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six—Disillusioned**

Orochimaru woke slowly from a deep, comfortable sleep. Tsunade's head was resting on his chest and she had one arm wrapped around him even as she slept. He laughed quietly and swept her hair back from her face.

"You look so gentle like this," he whispered. "Heh, but of course I know that's a lie."

"Hmm?" Tsunade stirred slightly but did not open her eyes.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep," Orochimaru said.

"No, no. I'm awake," she murmured, still not opening her eyes. "What'd you say?"

"I said you're cute when you sleep," he answered with a smirk.

"Mm." Finally she looked up at him and smiled. "Good morning," she said, and inched up to kiss him.

"Mm, good morning, Tsunade-hime."

Tsunade sat up and stretched, shivering a little at the cold air outside of the covers. "Ngh, where'd my clothes end up?" she said, looking around. She slid off of the bed and pulled off the overlarge shirt she had slept in, then collected her pants and top from the floor. Orochimaru leaned back against the pillows and watched her get dressed until she found his shirt and threw it at him, laughing.

"Come now, Tsunade, don't be that way," he said, grinning. "It's a compliment." He climbed out of the bed and got dressed then walked up behind Tsunade just as she finished re-tying her pigtails. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"What shall we do today, Hime?"

"Let's go outside," Tsunade sighed. "I have trouble waking up without a little sunlight. I might just stay in bed all day otherwise."

"Hmm, would that be so bad?" Orochimaru murmured. He held her tighter and kissed her neck. Tsunade smiled.

"Maybe not," she said. "But I'm so sleepy."

"Well then—"

Tsunade gasped as Orochimaru suddenly picked her up and carried her out into the hallway where the entrance to the hideout was already opening.

"Orochimaru…" Tsunade said, blushing and hiding her face against his shoulder. He laughed as he brought her outside and set her back on her feet. The hideout vanished beneath the earth.

"My Lady's sunlight," he said, mocking her. Then he took her hand and kissed it lightly.

Tsunade covered her face with her other hand and looked away, but she couldn't help smiling. "Why do you tease me?" she laughed.

Orochimaru grinned. "Because I can," he said mischievously.

"Ha, that sounds about right."

Tsunade walked a little ways and stretched again. It was a beautiful day and she hadn't felt this good in months. She took a deep breath and sighed then turned back to Orochimaru, but what she saw shattered her contentment instantly. She felt her face go white and her eyes widen. Orochimaru spun around immediately, following her gaze, and found the trouble. Inko was running toward them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven—Excuses**

Jiraiya headed for the Hokage's Residence as soon as Katsuyu had left. He went to Tsunade's office first, hoping to find Shizune, and was about to open the door when he heard hushed voices inside. He stopped and listened carefully.

"—wasn't there this morning and I haven't seen her since," he heard Shizune say.

"I was afraid of that. Listen, there might be something going on with her. I heard from someone that—"

Jiraiya opened the door and hurried into the room, cutting Yamato off.

"Good morning, Shizune! I have a message for you from Tsunade! Oh, Yamato, you're here too! Hope I didn't interrupt anything." He clapped his hand down on Yamato's shoulder and started pushing him toward the door. "Well, good to see you, but like I said, I really need to talk to Shizune, so if you don't mind—"

"Jiraiya, wait!" Shizune said. "We were talking about something important!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead then; I'll wait." Jiraiya folded his arms and stared at them. Yamato and Shizune exchanged nervous glances. "Well?" Jiraiya said.

"Er, never mind," Shizune said. "It can wait. What were you saying?"

Jiraiya held back a smirk. "Just that Tsunade wanted you to know that last night she was informed of an urgent medical case in one of our ally villages. To keep up good relations, she went to help them out. It's at least a two day trip so she won't be back for a while, but there's nothing to worry about." He glanced subtly at Yamato to take in his reaction. He seemed to buy it.

Shizune sighed. "I see," she said. "Er, Yamato—"

"It's all right," he told her. "Forget I said anything. It must have been a mistake. I'll be going now." A second later he was gone.

Jiraiya sighed. _That was a close one, _he thought. _Tsunade has got to start being more careful. _"Well, that's all I wanted to say. See you later, Shizune." He left the office and headed into town. "Well, now that that's taken care of… maybe I'll go check out the bathhouse," he said to himself with a grin.

[X]

Yamato was heading home when he passed Inko's house and stopped. "…I should probably let her know what's going on before she does something reckless again," he muttered. He knocked and waited and a minute later the door opened.

"Inko—oh, good morning, Shijuukara," he said.

Inko's little sister greeted him respectfully. "Are you looking for Inko?" she asked.

"Yes, I need to tell her something important. Is she here?"

Shijuukara shook her head. "I haven't seen her since the festival yesterday. She never came home."

Yamato noticed the young girl tearing up though she tried to hide it. "Uh, don't worry," he said quickly. "I just saw her this morning."

Shijuukara brightened immediately. "That's good," she said. "Thank you."

"No problem. Sorry for the intrusion. Goodbye." Yamato hurried away from the house.

_Not good, _he thought. _Why wouldn't she have gone home after she talked to us this morning? _

He found Kakashi standing at the memorial stone near the training grounds.

"Kakashi-senpai, I think something's wrong," he said, running up to him. "Inko never went home. I'm worried she's gone off on her own again."

Kakashi sighed. He reached into his bag and took out a kunai, then made a small cut on his thumb and summoned Pakkun. "I take it you think we should track her down. What about Lady Tsunade? Did you look into it at all?"

"I was trying to when Jiraiya came in and explained everything. She's gone to another village on an emergency mission."

Kakashi nodded. "All right. Let's go find Inko."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight—Acceptance**

Inko did not pause to hear explanations or excuses; she attacked Orochimaru immediately. Kunai in hand, she charged at him, lunging for his throat, but he grabbed her wrist and held off her attack. She tried again with her left hand, but he stopped her once more, now holding both of her wrists tightly so she could neither attack nor move away.

Orochimaru glanced over at Tsunade. She was staring at them, her body tense and her face pale. _She's not ready to make a choice, _Orochimaru thought. He shifted his gaze to glare at Inko. _But she has to now._

"Orochimaru," Tsunade murmured. His attention snapped back to her. She didn't look so petrified now and as he watched, she took in a slow breath and let it out. "Do what you need to do," she said.

Orochimaru stared at her, only then realizing how concerned he had been that she might choose differently. _…But now that she's said that, if this secret is to be kept… _He nodded to Tsunade and turned back to Inko. _…This ANBU has to die._

"I knew it," Inko growled, glaring at Orochimaru. "You did something to her. What is it? A genjutsu?"

Orochimaru grinned. "I haven't done _anything_ to her." He pulled on her wrists suddenly and she stumbled forward, but the next second went flying back from the force of Orochimaru's kick. She skidded across the rocky ground but flipped back onto her feet again quickly, already forming seals. Orochimaru moved to attack again and Inko released her chakra in a fire style technique. Fierce flames roared between them and Inko watched Orochimaru vanish in the blaze. She stopped the jutsu immediately.

"Where did he go? There's no way that really got him…"

The fire dissipated but Orochimaru was gone. Then she heard a quiet hissing behind her and before she could turn, her arms were bound to her sides by dozens of snakes.

"Pathetic," a cold voice whispered in her ear. The snakes pulled tighter and Inko disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving the snakes coiled around a large rock. Seconds later, shuriken were cutting through the air toward Orochimaru, but Inko was nowhere to be seen. He caught each one and threw them down into the ground but kept hold of the last one.

When the assault stopped, everything was still and quiet. Orochimaru listened carefully and looked around. Even Tsunade seemed to be holding her breath.

_Wait…_ Orochimaru thought. _Tsunade…! _"Tsunade, move!" Orochimaru threw the shuriken at her and she jumped out of the way just as Inko revealed herself. The blade sliced into Inko's shoulder as she tried to grab Tsunade, but Tsunade had moved just out of her reach.

Inko jumped back a little ways. "Lady Tsunade," she growled. "Snap out of it!"

"Heh. Hahaha!"

Inko glared at Orochimaru and pulled the shuriken out of her arm. "Shut up," she snapped, throwing it at him. He barely had to move to dodge it and he continued laughing.

"What a good little soldier," he said. "You've already discerned how hopeless this battle is. You know all you can hope to achieve is getting your Hokage away from me. But you're wrong. You're not even capable of that much."

"We'll see."

She began performing hand signs again but as Orochimaru watched, his vision seemed to blur and then Inko was gone. He glanced around. Tsunade was gone as well. Then a tight pressure around his arms made him look down. Countless snakes with cold, yellow eyes were swelling up out of the ground around his feet, and several of them had already made their way up his body to bind his arms. More crept up to his neck and constricted but he couldn't move. Inko appeared in front of him again and slowly drew the sword from the sheath on her back.

"Not laughing now," she said quietly. She raised the blade and charged at him but he suddenly turned around, reaching through the illusion to grab the real Inko's hand before she could stab her kunai into his back.

The snakes faded away and Tsunade reappeared right where she had been, looking neither concerned nor surprised.

"H-How…?" Inko gasped.

"You think you can hold _me_ in a genjutsu?" He grabbed her arm with both hands and threw her.

Inko smashed into a jagged rock formation a few yards away and crumpled to the dusty ground at its base. She sat up slowly, and tentatively touched the back of her head. Her hair was matted with blood.

"Hmph." Inko stood and adjusted her mask. _He's too perceptive. Too dangerous. I need an advantage._

As Orochimaru approached again she flew through a set of hand signs, too fast to see clearly. He stopped, keeping his distance while he waited for her to reveal the jutsu. Inko smirked and then vanished suddenly in what appeared to be a thick fog. The haze billowed out from where she stood, quickly engulfing Orochimaru and a large amount of the surrounding area.

Tsunade was left standing just outside of the large domed cloud. She could no longer see Inko or Orochimaru. "What the hell is this?" she murmured.

Inside the mist, Orochimaru was carefully analyzing the technique. _Combination of fire and water style, _he thought. _Unusual but not unheard of. _He turned slowly on the spot but he could not see anything within the dense fog. _A technique like this takes a great deal of chakra; it can't cover too much area. _He took a step and a shuriken shot out through the mist. Orochimaru dodged to the side quickly but the blade still grazed him and a thin line of blood ran down the side of this neck.

…_She can see me somehow? _He stepped back to pick up the shuriken and another suddenly flew by. He dodged this one completely and made note of the direction, then threw the first shuriken into the fog. The clang of metal on metal rang out and almost simultaneously, Orochimaru was struck hard on the back of the head. He fell to one knee but turned immediately to find his attacker. Still there was nothing there.

More shuriken cut through the air around him, and for each one, Inko attacked with taijutsu from another direction. He discerned the pattern quickly and was able to block or dodge every blow until he finally let one connect, and when it did, he grabbed Inko's arm, stopping her from vanishing into the mist again.

Inko struggled to break free but could not loosen his grip. Two more shuriken cut into Orochimaru's arm but he ignored them and instead struck at Inko, slamming his fist into her side where her armor was weak. He could feel her ribs crack and he smirked at her before letting her go. She dropped to her knees and doubled over holding her side. The shadow clone she had hidden in the fog disappeared.

"I think it's about time to end this," Orochimaru said. He started forming seals and Inko retreated immediately into the mist, vanishing under its cover.

"You can't run from me this time." He had finished the seals and cast a genjutsu. Slowly, he drew the sword from his throat.

It took him a few minutes to find Inko in the fog, but this time he could move freely with no resistance. When he found her, she was standing still, staring blankly at the ground and she did not react when he approached. Without a word, Orochimaru raised his sword and brought it down on her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine—Broken **

Tsunade heard the sharp ring of metal within the cloud and a sword skittered out across the ground to her feet. She stared down at it in shock. "This… This is Orochimaru's…" She looked into the mist again but couldn't see anything at all. "Dammit! What the hell is going on in there?"

Within the fog, Orochimaru was just barely holding Inko back from bringing her sword down on him. She had blocked his attack and, in his surprise, disarmed him.

"How did you break the genjutsu?" Orochimaru hissed. Then there was a deafening crash and the ground shook. A strong wind rushed around them and the fog thinned quickly. When everything had settled, they could see Tsunade standing nearby, dusting pieces of rubble off of her jacket from the crater she had just made.

Orochimaru smirked; all of the mist had been completely blown away. He looked back at Inko and saw the answer to his question. Sitting on her shoulders and along her arms were several mice. _Summons…_ Orochimaru thought.

Inko followed his gaze and smiled. "Caught off guard by a couple of mice," she said smugly.

"You used them to find me in your little smokescreen and guide your attacks," Orochimaru said. "Then when you were caught in my genjutsu they came to pull you out of it."

"Better than a bunch of deceitful snakes." Inko put more pressure behind the sword and Orochimaru was forced back. He jumped away from her and she immediately sheathed her sword and started another jutsu.

"I won't give you the time," Orochimaru hissed.

"Orochimaru!" Tsunade hooked her foot under Orochimaru's sword and kicked it up into her hand then tossed it to him. He caught it but continued to stare at Tsunade, unable to completely hide his surprise at her support.

"Lady Tsunade!" Inko shouted, outraged. She glared at Orochimaru. "You bastard!"

Orochimaru grinned, turning his focus back on the fight. Inko had completed the seals for her jutsu and began shooting fireballs at Orochimaru. He dodged around them easily and when he felt she had lost track of his location, ran in closer and slashed through the armor across Inko's stomach. The cut was shallow but it drew blood and Inko staggered back, hunched over, the pain from her broken ribs escalating.

Orochimaru took the opportunity to summon several snakes which he sent after the mice. The mice scattered and ran. Hardly any were caught but all of them were chased away.

_I've got to end this quickly, _Inko thought. She raised her hands to form more seals but a sharp pain suddenly shot up her arms and she cried out. Two of the snakes had doubled back and crept up her body to sink their long fangs into the backs of her hands. She reached for her sword again immediately and cut the snakes in half then pulled them off of her, but her hands were already growing numb. The sword slipped from her grasp and clattered to the ground at her feet.

_I—I can't move!_ Inko looked up and gasped. Orochimaru was walking calmly toward her, the blade of his sword catching the sunlight as he approached. She looked to Tsunade, but she had turned away.

"Lady Tsunade, please!" Inko called out. "You have to snap out of it! Please, help—!"

Orochimaru's hand shot out and he grabbed her throat. She could no longer breathe nor make a sound. Without a word, Orochimaru ran his sword through her chest and almost instantly, Inko died.


	10. Chapter 10

_Multiple updates, with my sincerest apologies._

**Chapter Ten—Reality **

Tsunade would remember it vividly as being quick and silent. It was just one isolated moment in time and that moment was over. Orochimaru drew back from Inko, letting the body drop and stepping away. It burst violently into flames.

"Heh, I had almost forgotten," Orochimaru said, slight amusement in his voice. "Your ANBU's bodies are destroyed when they die. I'll admit; that is extremely wise."

Tsunade wasn't listening. She stared into the flames watching as the shape of the young woman became unrecognizable. When Orochimaru started to walk away, she didn't follow.

"Tsunade," he said, pausing expectantly.

She neither answered nor moved, but continued to watch the fire burn down into nothing but a dark scorch on the rocky ground. The embers died out but still she stared at the spot.

"…You should go back," Orochimaru said coldly.

Finally, Tsunade looked up. "What?"

He met her eyes and spoke steadily. "You finally make a choice and then you regret it. I'm not playing games, Tsunade, but you? You're holding back. I don't want to see you again until you can face reality."

"What are you—?" Orochimaru turned from her and started walking away. "Orochimaru!" Tsunade called.

He stopped. "I've had enough," he said, refusing to face her. "Even now you want to pretend you had nothing to do with this. I thought you chose me, but…" Tsunade took a step toward him and Orochimaru moved away from her again. "Stop pretending I'm someone I'm not, Tsunade, and until you do, don't come back."

"Orochimaru, just wait a second." She hurried to catch up with him and he allowed her to but still did not turn to face her. Tsunade went to his side and grabbed his arm gently. The injury Inko's clone had dealt him in the mist was still bleeding and she was careful to look only at his face.

"I'm not pretending. Let me help." She moved his sleeve carefully away from the wound and brought healing chakra to her hand. When he didn't immediately pull away, Tsunade hesitated. He did not move, but his reply came with such shock that Tsunade drew back from him herself before she'd even realized it.

"_Stop_." His voice was cold and sharp. "Don't change the subject; I want some kind of response. I told you to _leave._"

"…Jiraiya… will have told them I'd be gone a few days," Tsunade said hesitantly. "I don't know what his excuse was. If I go back early it might not match up—"

Orochimaru whipped around and struck Tsunade across the face. It was so quick and fierce that she didn't even realize what had happened until she was already on the ground. She regained herself quickly and glared up at him but any retort she'd had died in her throat when she saw the murderous rage in his eyes. He stared down at her for a few long seconds before turning his back on her once again.

"Just go," he said coldly, and he disappeared, leaving Tsunade alone on the ground.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven—Discovered**

Tsunade sat up slowly, drew her knees up to her chest and put her head down. Not an hour ago she had been so happy, but now Inko was dead, Orochimaru was gone, and she had nowhere to go.

She wanted to talk to Jiraiya. He'd always been a good friend; someone she could talk to and rely on when things got too overwhelming. But he was at the village and she couldn't risk returning so soon.

Then, with a slight shudder, she realized he might not be so understanding this time. What if he couldn't accept the choice she had just made?

Tsunade closed her eyes. _I can't go back to the village, _she thought again. _And I can't stay here. My only option is to try to find Orochimaru. _The image of Orochimaru glaring down at her with murderous intent flashed across her mind and she shuddered slightly. _Whatever that may bring. _

She took a deep breath and raised her head. She was about to stand when Pakkun came tearing through the trees in the distance and skidded to a stop in front of her. Tsunade froze, sure that Kakashi would not be far behind. There was nothing she could do. Even if she ran now, Pakkun had seen her. Her eyes shifted to the black scorch on the ground as she tried to think of what she could say, but nothing occurred to her.

Seconds later, Kakashi and Yamato emerged from the trees and ran up to them.

"Thanks, Pakkun," Kakashi said.

Pakkun bobbed his head in a slight nod. "No problem." He threw a knowing glance at the spot where Inko had died then vanished in a cloud of white smoke.

Kakashi went to Tsunade and crouched beside her. "Lady Tsunade…" he said quietly but Tsunade kept her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her.

"…Where's Inko," Yamato said slowly, looking around.

Kakashi had not missed the look Pakkun had given the black mark on the ground before he'd left. They had been tracking Inko's scent but Pakkun had given up the trail. It only took Kakashi a moment to realize why. He turned back to Tsunade. "Are you hurt?" he asked her.

Tsunade shook her head then gathered her strength to answer, "No, I'm all right." She stood slowly as Yamato came over to them.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked.

"…Orochimaru…" Tsunade said. "She… She died too quickly. I couldn't save her."

"Lady Tsunade… Where have you been?" Yamato asked, distrust clear in his tone.

"Didn't Jiraiya tell you?" Tsunade answered, barely breathing. She knew there was almost no chance of his excuse matching up with finding her out here now.

"Maybe," Yamato said. "But why don't you tell us anyway?"

She looked from Yamato to Kakashi. They were both watching her, waiting for an answer, but she couldn't speak.

"What's going on, Lady Tsunade?" Kakashi asked, a slight urgency under his words. "What are you doing out here?"

"I… I don't know…" she breathed. Yamato and Kakashi exchanged suspicious and concerned glances.

"Let's go," Kakashi said after a moment. "You need to come back to the village."

Yamato took the lead and Tsunade followed, though a bit slowly. Kakashi stayed behind her, never letting her out of his sight.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve—Distance**

After leaving Tsunade, Orochimaru traveled back to his main hideout, his anger and frustration calming the further he got from Konoha. Once inside the underground labyrinth, he headed for his room but ran across Kabuto in the hall.

"Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto said. "You're back early. Is everything all right?" He glanced over Orochimaru's injuries with a calculating, practiced eye but Orochimaru kept walking.

"I'm fine," he said in passing. "It's nothing I need you for." He continued to his room and closed the door behind him.

The room was pitch-black but Orochimaru did not bother to light the candles or torches. He sat on the edge of his bed and held his head, trying to will away the dull ache he felt. The darkness and quiet were soothing to him, and allowed him to think back on what had happened over the last few days.

_Why did I go to Konoha? What have I been doing? Tsunade… and Jiraiya… the three—_He sighed, then slowly started laughing. "No," he whispered. "Foolish." His hand closed into a fist and all humor faded from his face. "No more of this fooling around."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen—Will of the Hokage**

Yamato parted ways with Kakashi and Tsunade when they reached the village. He didn't say a word, but headed off to report on Inko's death.

Kakashi placed his hand on Tsunade's shoulder. "This way, Lady Tsunade," he said, and he led her back to the Hokage's Residence. She was surprised when he brought her to her office and ushered her inside. "You should try to get some work done," he said casually. "I'll be back in a little while."

He left then and Tsunade walked to her desk as if in a dream. It was too strange. Why was he acting as if nothing was wrong? She felt what struck her as a sickly sense of relief when she realized no less than four ANBU members were watching her as she worked.

A few hours later, Kakashi returned to the office. With him were Yamato, several ANBU members, and Inoichi Yamanaka. Tsunade eyed this last visitor warily.

_Yamanaka…? _she thought, but then the pieces began falling into place in her mind. _...I see. _She stood and walked around her desk to join them.

No words were exchanged, but they turned to leave, moving as one unit with Tsunade in the middle of the group. They lead her through the Hokage's Residence, taking her down into the lower levels, to a small room deep underground.

_Strange… _Tsunade thought warily. _I assumed they would take me to the Intelligence Division. _She glanced again at Inoichi. _There's no doubt they plan to interrogate me. Maybe they just don't want to risk this getting out._

Inside, the room was empty save for one chair placed in the center. The ANBU members filed in and took their positions at each corner of the room and Tsunade was guided to the chair and instructed to sit. Kakashi closed the door and he and Yamato remained standing in front of it as Inoichi took his place before Tsunade.

"Do you know why you are here?" one of the ANBU members asked her.

"Yes," Tsunade said calmly. She had suspected this was coming from how everyone had been acting since they found her, and from what Inko had kept saying since the moment she'd found Tsunade with Orochimaru outside the small hideout near Konoha.

"And will you allow us to do what we must?" another of her guards said.

"…Yes."

The ANBU gave a slight nod to Inoichi who stepped closer and laid his hand lightly on Tsunade's head.

Tsunade felt a slight pressure as Inoichi began the jutsu to look within her mind. An uncomfortable sensation like a pulse behind her eyes told her he was looking through her memories. He wanted to search for what Tsunade had said she could not remember—what she said she did not know—in order to determine if Orochimaru had indeed done something to her as Inko had suspected. She saw his intention and established a defense immediately.

_I need to be smart about this, _she thought calmly. _I need to be careful with how I use my chakra. I'll have to use the absolute minimum necessary for what I have to do or I might run out before Inoichi does. _She had to stop herself from smirking. Her chakra control was flawless. There was no way Inoichi could outlast her in such a contest.

_But more than that, I need to be tactful or I'll give myself away. I can only defend what is absolutely necessary. I can only defend information about Orochimaru. Nothing else._

Inoichi was straining her defenses now and Tsunade let them fall one by one, diverting her energy and concentration to what really mattered. He scanned through her memories quickly once her resistance was gone, but whenever he attempted to access something about Orochimaru, he met with the impenetrable barricades that Tsunade was continuously erecting. The concentration and focus the task required of her was intense, but she did not yield or falter and she kept up with Inoichi at every turn. Even memories of her youth, when it was no secret that she and Orochimaru were on the same team, she defended as though her own life depended upon it.

_I won't let them have anything about him, _she told herself._ I won't let them take anything they could use._

As Inoichi worked, he mumbled updates to the surrounding ANBU members. "There's definitely something wrong," he said after half an hour. "It seems like I can't see anything that has to do with Orochimaru. If this is some kind of jutsu…" He trailed off as he met another barrier and worked to get around it, but failed once again. "It's incredible," he finished. "It's so advanced and adaptive, so thorough… no less from a genius like Orochimaru."

"Don't compliment that bastard," one of the ANBU members interjected.

"Only a fool wouldn't admit it," another said quietly.

"Is there anything you can do, Inoichi?" Kakashi asked. He was watching Tsunade carefully but it almost seemed as though she had fallen unconscious where she sat. Her eyes were closed and she reacted to nothing, too focused on her defense to even hear their conversation.

"I'm not sure yet," he said. "But it does seem to me that a… seal of some kind has been placed in her mind. It would probably account for her confusion and lost time. What really worries me though…"

He was silent for a bit too long. Everyone else in the room was tense, waiting for him to continue until Kakashi finally spoke up. "Inoichi, what is it?"

The quiet stretched on for a few more seconds before Inoichi answered. "The defense is so thorough," he said. "I can't even see what we're dealing with. There's no way to tell if it could allow him… to even _control_ Lady Tsunade on some level…"

The tension in the room was palpable. Their Hokage could not be under the control of a rogue ninja. They could not allow it. The situation inside the small underground room had just become imperatively covert and everyone there knew it without speaking. It had to be dealt with as quietly and as quickly as possible.

"Shouldn't we use the mind reading amplification machine?" one of the ANBU members asked. "Maybe then…"

"The result would be no different," Inoichi snapped, growing irritated with the continued distractions. "Just let me concentrate…"

"We're counting on you, Inoichi," Kakashi said.

Inoichi nodded but spoke no more for the next several hours. He continued to analyze Tsunade's thoughts and memories until he was sure nothing accessible could be of any use, then set to work on the barriers, trying everything he could think of to break through or sneak around them.

Tsunade was beginning to feel the effects of their continued struggle. Even though she was making the most efficient use of her chakra, she was still feeling run down after concentrating so hard for so long. At times she noticed her focus slipping in her exhaustion.

One such moment, nearly twelve hours into the process, Inoichi caught on to a weak point in Tsunade's defense, and, though exhausted himself and running low on chakra, he did not let the opportunity slip by. He forced himself to continue, assaulting the weakened barrier as though he were taking a battering ram to a wooden door, and in his mind he saw it fold and slip away.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen—Reserves**

Tsunade gritted her teeth against her exhaustion and the pain in her head and concentrated on her last defense. The diamond on her forehead burned with a purple light and bled out across her face in twisting black lines. "Yin Seal: Release," she murmured. The lines vanished and a great reserve of chakra poured into her tired body. She directed it immediately to her collapsing defense and Inoichi's progress was blocked so abruptly and with such force that he staggered back from Tsunade and fell to the floor.

"Inoichi, are you okay?" One of the ANBU members going by the name Taro hurried over to help him up.

"Yes, I'm all right," Inoichi said, but he was slow to stand. "I wasn't able to break through. I can't keep up with it now that it's using her chakra reserves as well. There's no way I can fight that anymore." He relied heavily on Taro's support as he spoke, his body weak from using so much chakra.

"It's all right, you've done enough," another ANBU said. "We can bring someone in to take over for you. We'll break through eventually."

Tsunade wasn't listening. She slumped in the chair, finally able to relax now that the barrage on her mind had stopped, but her head still throbbed and there seemed to be a buzzing in her ears that made it easy to tune out the conversations around her. She didn't want to think. She just wanted to sleep.

Taro helped Inoichi out of the room and another ANBU followed to retrieve his replacement.

"You should have stopped sooner," Taro said as they made their slow progress up a narrow flight of stairs, Inoichi falling short of breath after only a few steps. "It's dangerous to expend so much chakra at once."

Inoichi shook his head but could not articulate any further response until they had reached the end of the stairwell. "I had to do whatever I could," he finally said, his determination still clear through his fatigue. "How could I do any less when Lady Hokage is in even greater danger than I was?"

As he was saying this, Jiraiya passed them in the hall. He had just been to Tsunade's office only to find Shizune gathering her things to go home. It was the middle of the night and she had been working all day, covering for Tsunade. When Jiraiya had asked where Tsunade was, she insisted, a little too intently, that she did not know. She was nervous. Worried.

Jiraiya had been leaving the Hokage's Residence when he overheard Inoichi's comment. He stopped mid-step as the words sunk in.

"What did you say?" Jiraiya turned abruptly and hurried back a few steps to get ahead of Inoichi and the two ANBU members. "What's going on?"

"Master Jiraiya…"

"Where's Tsunade?" he demanded, feeling a tight sense of urgency creeping up within him.

The three stared back at him and gave no answer. He quickly focused in on Inoichi.

"Inoichi, what happened?" Jiraiya asked, his tone soft and serious.

Taro spoke immediately then. "Please, Master Jiraiya, we cannot answer you. Let us pass."

For a few moments, they stood at a stalemate, but then Inoichi's strength wavered and his knees gave out. Taro had to catch him and hold him up to keep him on his feet. At this, Jiraiya reluctantly stepped aside and with a soft "Thank you," from Taro, the three continued past him. "It's better you don't know," the other ANBU added quietly.

Jiraiya held back the urge to grab the masked man and slam him into the wall, to force him to tell what he knew. Instead he remained very still until the sound of their footsteps had faded with distance, then turned and ran in the direction from which they had come.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen—Reprieve**

"Tsunade!" Jiraiya threw open the door to the interrogation room but stopped cold in the entrance.

Tsunade looked up, barely raising her head. "Jiraiya…" she mumbled.

He stared at her. She had dark circles under her eyes and she sat slumped in the chair, surrounded by ANBU members. And worst of all, her seal was gone.

"Tsunade… what…?" Jiraiya looked around at the others in the room and locked eyes with Kakashi.

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded.

Kakashi glanced away from him to Tsunade then pulled Jiraiya aside, but before he could say anything, one of the ANBU members cut in.

"Does he need to know?" he said in a low voice, speaking only to Kakashi. Kakashi looked around the room. The other ANBU was also watching him carefully and even Yamato looked disapproving.

"Right. I'll send him away," Kakashi muttered back. "Come on," he said to Jiraiya. "Follow me."

Jiraiya did so only hesitatingly and they stepped outside of the room. The moment the door was closed, Kakashi began explaining. "They don't want me to tell you this," he began. "We're keeping it secret from everyone until it's sorted out, but I think you should know." He quickly recounted all they had seen and speculated about the situation with Tsunade, and what they were now trying to do to fix it. "Maybe you could help us," Kakashi added. "Do you have any idea what Orochimaru might have done to her?"

Jiraiya was silent for a long time, thinking over what he had just been told. _Inko's been killed… It… _is _possible Orochimaru might have used some kind of jutsu on Tsunade, but I don't want to believe that. At the very least, there would have been a better way to do it. I need to get the _real_ story... _He looked back at the door. _But I can't just leave her like this. I've got a bad feeling… If they keep pushing her, we'll all be in trouble unless… _

"But that would kill her…" Jiraiya muttered to himself.

"What?" Kakashi said, but before he could say anymore, Taro and the other ANBU member returned with an interrogation ninja named Kaorin. They did not stop to talk; they just passed them by and entered the room. When the door was closed, Jiraiya said quietly, "Who was that with them?"

Kakashi looked away. "Inoichi's… replacement," he said.

"_What?_"

Inside the room, Kaorin stepped up to Tsunade. She was barely conscious but when Kaorin laid her hand on her head Tsunade was startled to attention and let out a quiet gasp. She tried to focus her eyes on the person in front of her.

_Wh-What? Are… Are they trying to kill me? I can't keep this up; no one could. Could they suspect I'm not under a jutsu…? Did I let something slip? _"Ahh—!"

Kaorin, having already been informed of the situation, did not hesitate to start her assault on Tsunade's mind. Tsunade cried out at the sudden pain and the door to the interrogation room banged open. Jiraiya forced his way between Tsunade and Kaorin, knocking Kaorin's hand away and interrupting her efforts to search Tsunade's mind.

"Stop!" Jiraiya shouted, glaring around at the ANBU members who had all drawn in toward the center of the room where he stood. "This is depleting her chakra; if you push her too far it could kill her."

Kakashi had followed Jiraiya into the room but was keeping his distance by the door. "We won't let it come to that," he said.

"At least let her rest—" Jiraiya started, but Kaorin cut him off.

"We have a better chance of breaking through if she's low on chakra," she said.

"Listen to yourselves!" Jiraiya snapped at them. "Look at what you're doing to her! This woman has been risking her life for this village since before most of you were born and she's… she's done nothing wrong." He paused briefly to see that everyone was paying attention then continued in a low voice, "And yet you're treating her like some kind of criminal. She's your Hokage. You can't do this."

"It is _because_ she's Hokage that we must," one of the ANBU said. "We cannot just look the other way when confronted with the possibility that our leader may be under outside control—_enemy_ control. And more than that, she agreed to it."

"I'm not suggesting you ignore the problem," Jiraiya said sharply. "I _am_ suggesting you all take a step back and consider what you're doing to _her_." He looked at Tsunade. She seemed too tired to even lift her head.

Kaorin looked around at the ANBU members, waiting to hear how they thought things should proceed. Eventually, one of them spoke.

"All right," he said reluctantly. "We'll allow a break."

Jiraiya nodded but hesitated to move from between Tsunade and Kaorin.

"I'll keep an eye on her," Kakashi said. "I won't let them take it too far. You can trust me, can't you?"

"This has already gone too far," Jiraiya muttered. He looked at Kakashi for a long while, considering his offer, then moved toward the door. He put his hand on Kakashi's shoulder and said quietly, "Okay. I'll trust you. There's something I need to do right now. I want you to make sure she's allowed to rest and that things don't get out of hand."

Kakashi nodded and Jiraiya hurried from the room, disappearing down the hallway before the door could swing shut behind him.

Kakashi went to Tsunade's side. "Come with me, Lady Tsunade. I'll take you to your room." He helped her to stand and she relied on his support as they turned toward the door.

An ANBU stepped forward immediately. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"You said you'd take a break," Kakashi answered. "Don't tell me you're going back on your word."

The reply was quick. "We said we'd allow a break, not that we'd allow her to leave."

"Well, I'm taking her to her room to rest." He pulled the door open but the ANBU slammed it shut again before they could take a step.

"Kakashi—!"

"Don't be so uptight," Kakashi said lightly. "Her chakra won't recover that quickly. Let her rest her body and mind for a while. Jiraiya's right, there's no reason for this process to be cruel."

Yamato stepped forward then and pushed the other ANBU member's hand off of the door. "I agree with Kakashi," he said. "There's no harm in it, and we can guard her in her room just as well as we could down here."

Kakashi did not wait to see the others' reactions. He opened the door again and went out into the hallway. Yamato followed, then Taro and one of the other ANBU members. Kaorin and the two remaining ANBU had no choice but to comply and everyone made their way up to the Hokage's room to keep watch.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen—Confrontation**

Orochimaru stepped away from the table in his underground lab and flipped a few switches, bathing his test subject in light. Laid out on the cold metal was a lifeless, discolored body—an experiment that had failed. Orochimaru's hand skimmed over the scalpel briefly before he picked up a kunai and dug it into the subject's chest. He was in no mood to be patient or careful, and he split the body open roughly. Setting the blade aside, he then began pulling the flesh away with his hands, still-warm blood coating his fingers. He tore back a layer of muscle to reveal the subject's ribs and finally found a clue to what had gone wrong. The bones had turned completely black.

As he stared down at this curiosity, he heard someone enter the lab through the door behind him. In a flash of anger, his hand tensed around one of the exposed ribs and the bone snapped in his fist.

"How did you find me?" Orochimaru said slowly.

"Practice," Jiraiya answered, stepping further into the room. "I made it my personal mission to bring you back to the village after you left. If anyone can track you down, it's me." He crossed his arms and glared at Orochimaru's back but Orochimaru did not turn from his work.

"Your personal mission?" Orochimaru scoffed. "Don't forget; you failed."

"That's not why I'm here now."

"If this is about Tsunade—" Orochimaru started but Jiraiya cut him off.

"She is _torturing _herself to keep your secret," he snapped.

"_My_ secret?" Orochimaru sneered.

"Yours," Jiraiya said firmly. "Both of yours."

"It shouldn't have to be a secret at all. The fact that she goes to such lengths to keep it as such disgusts me." He gave a sharp tug and with a wet snap the rib broke again. He pulled the loose segment of bone from his subject's chest and examined it closely.

"If she were only protecting herself, she would just have to block out the fact that you two are in a relationship, but that's _not_ what she's doing." Jiraiya moved forward again. He wanted to face Orochimaru, but when he got closer and looked around him to see what was on the table he changed his mind and stayed back.

"She's protecting you with everything she has," he continued. "She isn't letting them see _anything _about you. She knows you, Orochimaru. Better than anyone. And she knows her knowledge in those hands could get you killed. She is fighting against that with her life.

"I don't know what happened between you and Tsunade, but can you really just let her die? I can't see any way out of this. I need your help."

"Tsunade created this mess herself," Orochimaru said quietly. "Let her find a way out."

"Orochimaru!"

"Get out, Jiraiya," he hissed. "This has nothing to do with you."

"...Fine," Jiraiya said, seething. "I should get back to Konoha anyway. My friend is in trouble and she needs my help." He headed out of the lab but stopped and turned back for a moment, addressing Orochimaru from the doorway. "You know, at least she's _trying_ to accept you for who you are. What do you give her in return?"

Orochimaru was silent and Jiraiya left. As he was walking down the hallway, he noticed a door ahead of him propped open slightly. A young, red haired woman was peeking out from behind it, but she closed it quickly as he approached and Jiraiya passed it by.

Kabuto came to the lab shortly after Jiraiya had left. Orochimaru was already cleaning up.

"I thought there was someone else here," Kabuto said casually, looking around. "Were you speaking with someone?" He glared down the hallway at the door Jiraiya had passed.

"It's none of your concern," Orochimaru said shortly.

Kabuto quickly changed the subject. He did not want to be on Orochimaru's bad side. "Do you want my help in the lab again today?" he asked.

"No... Not today." Orochimaru brushed past him and went to his room. Kabuto followed but Orochimaru stopped him. "Do not disturb me," he said, and he disappeared through the door, snapping it shut behind him.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen—Decisions Reconsidered**

Tsunade had been allowed eight hours of rest before they brought her back down to the interrogation room. Kaorin was working on her, and had been for a few hours. Tsunade was already feeling the strain of her efforts to keep Kaorin out; eight hours was not enough time to recover sufficient chakra for a prolonged struggle. She wasn't even able to reform the Yin Seal because she knew her immediate need for chakra was more important.

Kakashi was watching Tsunade carefully but he was surprised by how quickly she seemed to tire this time. Hardly two hours into the process, Tsunade already looked pale and her breathing had become labored. Kakashi slowly slid his headband away from his eye and focused the sharingan on Tsunade. With this he would be able to see her chakra and gauge how much longer she could hold up, but what he saw rendered this pointless. She was already dangerously low on chakra.

Kakashi rushed forward and grabbed Kaorin, pulling her away from Tsunade. "We have to stop," he said quickly. "She can't take any more."

Even as he spoke, Tsunade slipped from the chair and fell, unconscious on the floor.

"Lady Tsunade!" Kakashi hurried to her side and tried to wake her but she did not respond. "This has got to stop," he muttered.

"We'll take another break and—"

"No." Kakashi lifted Tsunade off of the floor. "She could have died. You're not doing this again." He carried her from the room and two ANBU members followed him.

"We can't just do nothing," one called after him.

"Then you'll just have to find another way," Kakashi said.

He took Tsunade up to her room and laid her on the bed. As he stepped away, she began to wake.

"Lady Tsunade?"

She did not answer but her eyes opened slightly.

"Just rest for now," Kakashi said. "I'm going to try to talk them out of continuing this... find another way."

Still Tsunade said nothing. She watched Kakashi leave and noticed two ANBU members posted outside her room. She closed her eyes.

[X]

The next thing Tsunade was conscious of was a hand on her shoulder, nudging her awake. She forced her eyes open again and saw an ANBU leaning over her.

"Nn... already?" she groaned weakly. She sat up on her own but was having difficulty walking. The ANBU put her arm around his shoulders and helped her out of the room, but she quickly realized they were not headed toward the interrogation block.

"What's... going on?" she asked. The ANBU ignored her.

_Maybe Kakashi did something, _Tsunade thought. _Still... I could have sworn there were two ANBU outside my room. Where are they?_

Almost as she thought this, Taro came around the corner right in front of them.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he said.

Several things happened at once then. The ANBU who had retrieved Tsunade vanished. She stumbled at the sudden loss of her support and fell against the wall, using it to keep herself up. Taro drew the sword from the sheath on his back as the ANBU reappeared behind him. Before Taro could make a move, his arm was twisted up behind his back and he was forced to drop his blade. The ANBU pressed a kunai to Taro's throat and held him there, immobilized.

"Stop!" Tsunade shouted. Still leaning against the wall she began to form the hand signs for a chakra scalpel, but when she tried to bring forth chakra for the jutsu it failed. Her legs suddenly gave way beneath her and she fell hard to the floor.

The kunai pressed harder against Taro's throat, slicing into his skin, but the ANBU hesitated. For a short time, no one in the hallway moved. Then the ANBU flipped the kunai around and instead of slitting Taro's throat, used the handle to strike his head. Taro fell, unconscious and bleeding, and the ANBU stepped around him, absentmindedly throwing the kunai down as he did so that the blade pierced Taro's leg.

Tsunade was still on the ground, trying to catch her breath. _I couldn't have been asleep very long, _she thought. _I've hardly recovered any chakra at all... _She tried to get up but found that she could not. The ANBU walked over and stared down at her. She could only glare back from the floor.

"What... are you doing?" Tsunade said a little breathlessly. "Who are you? Ah—!" She grabbed her head and cringed at the pain, squeezing her eyes shut.

The ANBU knelt beside her and picked her up. Tsunade couldn't think through the pain. She was still trying to catch her breath, her eyes closed, when he removed his mask and covered her mouth with his. A long tongue extended into her mouth and her eyes flew open as she finally realized who this man was. She saw very briefly the familiar pale skin and purple marked eyes before her own eyes squeezed shut again. The tongue was extending further, sliding down her throat, and she choked and recoiled, trying to get away from him, but he held her head still and she had no energy to resist him. Just when she thought he might kill her, the tongue retracted and he pulled away. As she gasped for breath, her weary mind just barely noted the bitter taste from the drug he had forced her to swallow before it took effect and she passed out in Orochimaru's arms. He looked down at her for a long moment and his hold on her tightened. Then he put the mask back on and carried her away.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen—Truce**

Orochimaru brought Tsunade back to the smaller hideout hidden near Konoha. Once they were safely underground, he laid her on the bed and sat down beside her. He knew the drug would keep her unconscious for a while longer, but he still stayed with her a short time before going off deeper into the hideout.

When Tsunade woke, she was alone. It took her some time to realize where she was and to remember what had happened. She sighed and covered her face. _I can only imagine what they must be thinking in the village right now. _She tried to recall the details of the previous day. _Not that I ran away, since Orochimaru left at least one ANBU alive who saw him with me. That I've been taken then. Well, that much is true. _She pulled herself up in the bed and leaned back against the headboard, looking around the room. Everything was as they had left it a few days ago, before everything had gone wrong. And things had indeed gone wrong. So wrong that Tsunade did not dare to hope that Orochimaru only meant to rescue her when he took her from the village.

_Well, _she thought. _He could have killed me by now if he wanted._

The door opened and Orochimaru entered the room. He paused when he saw that Tsunade was awake but then closed the door quietly and went over to the bed.

"…Please say _something_," Tsunade said after too long a silence.

"I haven't changed my mind," Orochimaru answered stubbornly. "But I couldn't just let them have their way with you either."

Tsunade laughed a little. His reply was a great relief to her and gave her hope that things might still be able to return to how they were.

"Tsunade," he said seriously and she immediately regretted her thoughts. "Jiraiya told me the situation. They would have broken you eventually. What were you thinking?"

She shook her head. "I don't know… It was a bad situation," she added a little defensively. Orochimaru looked away.

"…Listen, Orochimaru, I—"

"You should get some rest," he interrupted, but when he turned to head for the door, Tsunade grabbed his wrist. He turned back immediately, surprised by how cold her hand was. She pulled him back toward the bed and he sat beside her.

"I know… I upset you earlier," she started, focusing on the blankets so she wouldn't have to meet his eyes. "I just need a little more time. Will you wait for me?"

Orochimaru stared at her._ I've been no more accepting of her than she's been of me, but she never says anything. I can't believe it took _Jiraiya _saying it to make me realize…_

She was holding his hand but he pulled it away to brush her hair back from her face. She still looked pale.

"Undo this foolish illusion," he said quietly. "I don't mind. You shouldn't be wasting your chakra on it."

Tsunade shook her head and anger flared in Orochimaru.

"_Tsunade_," he almost hissed. "This is no time for—"

"It's not an illusion," Tsunade said firmly and Orochimaru fell silent. "It hasn't been since our fight four years ago," she finished.

Orochimaru was taken aback at first. Then he gently swept her hair back from her forehead, away from the place where the Yin Seal should have marked her skin.

"…Genesis Regeneration," he murmured. "I had no idea it was so thorough."

"Orochimaru, you didn't answer. Will you wait for me?"

Orochimaru pulled her close and she wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. He stroked her hair lightly.

_No. No more waiting. For either of us. _"I'll find a way, Tsunade," he whispered.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen—Recompense**

Orochimaru stayed in the room with Tsunade and continued to hold her long after she had fallen asleep again, but he knew she would need several hours of rest and eventually left to make preparations for Manda. Orochimaru had tricked Manda into taking him to Konoha so he could get there quickly, telling him that he was mounting another attack on the village, and that every person there would be sacrificed to him for his help. However, once they were near enough to the village, Orochimaru had cancelled the summoning, sending Manda away without explanation. He knew that the great snake would not take kindly to this manipulation and was sure Manda would turn on him the very next time he was summoned. Orochimaru knew better than to wait for a moment of great need for that to happen, so he began to make plans to summon him again soon and under such conditions as would give Orochimaru the upper hand. Then he could reaffirm the snake's obedience, be it through bribery or force.

Hours passed as he worked. He was thinking over the resources he had available to him or that he could acquire in a short time when the door to his work room opened.

He hadn't expected it. He knew there was no one else in the small hideout beside himself and Tsunade, who should not quite be awake yet, and certainly should not be out of bed. His thoughts went next to Jiraiya, who, no doubt, would have eventually tracked them there. _But he should not be able to enter this hideout on his own and he wouldn't be stupid enough to…_

Orochimaru suppressed a groan and turned to the door. He did not have a clear expectation for what he would see there, but it wasn't this. Tsunade was standing in the doorway, but for the briefest of moments, Orochimaru did not recognize her. She was barefoot, and so, significantly shorter. She had left her jacket behind in the room and had removed her hair ties, letting her hair fall wildly over her shoulder. The Yin seal was still absent from her forehead, but the most disorienting feature was the harsh glare she had fixed on Orochimaru. She hadn't looked at him with so much anger in four years.

"Tsunade," Orochimaru started slowly. "What are you doing?"

"You _drugged_ me," she said sharply.

Orochimaru's tone immediately shifted from cautious to casual. "Tsunade, you could hardly walk. You were in pain. Are you really that upset that I—?" He took a step forward but halted when Tsunade suddenly strode into the room toward him, her footsteps surprisingly soft on the stone floor, even enraged as she was. Before Orochimaru could say another word, she punched him and he staggered back into his desk from sheer surprise. There had been no chakra behind the punch but it was still nothing to scoff at. They stared at each other for a moment before Tsunade spoke. Her voice was strong and serious.

"It was my choice," she said. "I fought with my life to protect you because I think you're worth protecting. Don't think for one second you've got me wrapped around your finger because I promise, if you keep pushing me, that fight we had four years ago is gonna come to a rematch." She stared him down and Orochimaru couldn't help but smile. He reached out and pulled her close against him. She did not resist, but she did not look happy.

"Orochimaru," she scolded.

He put his finger to her lips and, still smiling, said, "I understand, Tsunade."

She stared at him a few seconds longer and gradually her expression softened.

"Good," she murmured, and she held him tight, resting her cheek against his shoulder. Orochimaru kissed the top of her head lightly and Tsunade answered by standing on her toes and pressing closer against him to steal a kiss for herself which the two Sannin were both so reluctant to end that they were left short of breath when they finally parted.

"You still need rest," Orochimaru said, laughing a little as Tsunade attempted to blow a rogue lock of hair away from her face. She smirked at his comment. He was still holding on to her and did not show any intention of letting her go, but she was content to stay in his arms.

"What are you working on in here?" Tsunade asked. Orochimaru glanced back at the desk then began guiding Tsunade gently away from it and toward the door.

"Nothing interesting, Hime. Just something that needs to be taken care of. Now really, you need to rest."

Tsunade did not press the issue. She was still tired and not up to pestering him about it.

Orochimaru stopped in the doorway and let Tsunade continue down the hall back toward the bedroom. His hand went absently to his cheek as he watched her go and he touched it gingerly. It still hurt.

"Tsunade," he said, speaking no louder than if she had been right next to him. She stopped and turned toward him. "Are we even now?"

Tsunade smiled so sweetly Orochimaru almost took a step back. "As long as you never hit me like that again," she said, and he recognized the threat behind her light tone. "I'll fight you anytime, but if you pull something like that again, I'll make you sorry." She started to walk away again.

"Tsunade,"

Once again, she turned back.

The mischievous grin on his face was no surprise. "I'm sorry," he said.

Tsunade smirked and suddenly looked much more like herself. Without another word, both she and Orochimaru headed off, Tsunade to the bedroom and Orochimaru to his work.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty—Interruption**

Orochimaru walked slowly back to the bedroom a few hours later. His plans for Manda were set. The sooner it was taken care of, the better. He would head out in the morning.

The bedroom door was slightly ajar and light from within flooded into the hall. Orochimaru approached curiously. _Stubborn woman, _he thought. _She's supposed to be resting._

He eased the door open silently and stepped into the room. Tsunade was sitting in the middle of the large bed with her back to the door. She seemed completely engrossed in the hand-bound book of notes resting in her lap. Orochimaru crept closer and read over her shoulder. The notes he recognized as his own, but he was amused to find that what had captured her attention so fully was not his medical research, but his theories for the development of new jutsus.

"Curious, Tsunade-hime?" he whispered, close behind her now.

Tsunade held in her brief surprise and closed the book. "I found it in another room," she said as Orochimaru joined her on the bed. He sat behind her and his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close against him. "I figured if it was something you didn't want me reading," she continued. "It would have been more secure."

Orochimaru smiled. "You're right." He took the book from her then and went to set it on a table in the corner of the room.

"Hey!" Tsunade complained, but she made no attempt to stop him.

"You can have it back," Orochimaru said. "I don't mind if you read it, but I'm tired. I want to go to sleep." He glanced at her. She looked indecisive, still eyeing the book. "It will still be there in the morning," he added, and caught himself before he could include, "but I won't be." He had already decided that he would not tell Tsunade about his errand. There was no need to get her worried.

He took her continued silence as agreement and extinguished the lights before changing into night clothes. He returned to the bed and Tsunade moved to his side almost as soon as he had lain down. Orochimaru pulled the covers up over them both, careful to cover her bare arms.

Tsunade did not miss this little gesture. It was the sort thing that made her question if she was really lying in Orochimaru's arms, or just dreaming she was. Whenever he would do something like that, some small, thoughtful thing, it would clash fiercely against the image of him that was fixed so firmly in every villager's mind back in Konoha. She spent so much time surrounded by their perceptions that any deviation on his part when they were alone made her long to know the reason behind it. She didn't want any part of a "too good to be true" mindset.

"Why did you come back for me?" Tsunade whispered.

Orochimaru glanced at her, his eyes hardly affected by the darkness of the room. She was staring up at him and he could tell that she was not sad or upset, just genuinely interested in his answer.

"I thought I told you already," he said. "I couldn't let them have their way with you. If they'd broken through…" He cut himself off. He didn't want to think about what they could have done to her. It had been easier to cite selfish reasons for saving her when he was still angry, but now… He held her a little tighter.

"That's… not really what I meant," Tsunade muttered.

"Then what do you mean?" Orochimaru asked, grateful for a distraction.

"…Never mind. Forget it." She felt foolish for bringing it up and hid her face in the pillows.

Orochimaru smirked. "You should just say what you really want to know," he whispered. "But since you're too embarrassed, why not give me an example of the kind of answer you're looking for?"

"For example, you're a _jerk_," she said, hitting his arm lightly. "But you're also cunning and ambitious. Your work is genius even if it does get a little… creepy sometimes. You just keep… _impressing _me and I can't help myself…"

Orochimaru laughed and Tsunade's face turned red. She hid again in her pillow and shouted into it, "I take it all back! You're a stupid jerk!"

Orochimaru composed himself and rubbed her back lightly. "I knew you were just fishing for compliments," he said accusingly, fighting a grin.

Her reply was muffled. "If you knew, then you were doing the same thing when you asked for that example. Jerk."

"Maybe. But you forgot to mention sexy—" He could hardly keep a straight face. She finally looked up again.

"Well, that just goes without saying," she said simply.

"Heh, all right, Tsunade. How's this for an answer?" He tilted her face gently toward his and locked eyes with her for a moment to ensure he had her full attention. "Tsunade." He said it softly, making her breath catch as he continued to stare at her. "You have a brilliant mind." He kissed her forehead gently. "An indomitable will." He kissed her lips. "Incredible strength." He kissed her neck then met her eyes again. "You're too brilliant. I could never give you up."

Tsunade pulled Orochimaru closer and kissed him. "Thank you, Orochimaru," she whispered. "Of course," a smirk settled onto her face. "You forgot to mention s—"

A loud crash from outside shook the whole room, cutting her off. The two Sannin were out of the bed and on their feet instantly.

"What… the hell was that?" Tsunade breathed.

"Tsunade, you should hide. I'm going to see what… or who—"

"God _dammit!_ Can we not have _one_ uninterrupted moment of _peace?_" Tsunade suddenly shouted. Orochimaru stared at her. "Don't give me that look," she said. "I'm really frustrated. And I _don't _want to hide." There was another crash above ground. Before Orochimaru could respond Tsunade continued. "I will, though. For now. Don't die."

Orochimaru hesitated only a moment longer before running out into the hall. He formed the seals for a summoning and called out a small serpent. "Just go above then report back," he murmured. The snake darted up the dark stairway and slipped through an opening in the wall halfway up. Only moments after it had disappeared, it returned, hissing irately.

"It is the toad sage," it said. "And that infuriating chief toad."

Orochimaru's eyes widened. "That… complete idiot." He dismissed the summon and began the seals to open the entranceway to the hideout. As the layer of earth vanished, Orochimaru ascended the stairs, forcing himself to remain composed.

The chill of the night air had a biting edge. Orochimaru's scowl deepened. Jiraiya hadn't noticed him yet. He was facing Gamabunta, in the midst of an argument with him.

"I won't continue to do something so demeaning. I'm the chief, I should be called for my strength and abilities, not something like this."

"And I'm telling you Orochimaru is down there. If you want to show off, help me get him up here! You don't have any problem jumping around like that when you're trying to throw me off your head!"

"Just when I thought I'd seen the limit of your foolishness," Orochimaru hissed.

Jiraiya turned sharply. "Orochimaru. Where's Tsunade?" he demanded.

"If you want to know, you'll send that toad away and come underground with me right now." When Jiraiya didn't move, Orochimaru lost his patience.

"Let me rephrase. Send it away _now_ or I'll seal this entrance and trap her down there."

"Jiraiya," Gamabunta rumbled, but Jiraiya ignored him.

"I've got this, Gamabunta," he said, and he released the summoning. Gamabunta vanished, and before the smoke had even cleared, Orochimaru disappeared as well. He rose up from the ground behind Jiraiya and caught him off guard, knocking him back hard enough to send him tumbling down the stairs and into the hideout. Orochimaru rushed down the stairs after him, flying through the hand signs to seal the opening. The earth closed over them.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One—The Plan**

Jiraiya struggled to his feet at the bottom of the stairs and faced Orochimaru in the dim hallway.

"Tell me, Jiraiya," Orochimaru said slowly, his face cold with anger. "At what point did announcing the location of this place to the whole country occur to you as a good idea?"

"Orochimaru, where is Tsunade? What have you done with her?"

"You're that concerned?" he scoffed. The delay of his answer grated on Jiraiya's nerves. "I haven't done anything," Orochimaru continued. "I only threatened to trap her here to get you to cooperate more quickly." He gestured toward the bedroom door. "She's right in there, but if I were you, I'd be more worried about what she might do when she finds out you were the one who interrupted us."

Jiraiya was suddenly grinning. "Oh ho! I see! I thought you two were fighting but I'm sure the make-up sex is—"

Orochimaru turned away from him, went into the bedroom, and closed the door sharply.

"Hey!" Jiraiya shouted. He followed, throwing the door open again and stepping into the room. Tsunade rushed at him immediately but Orochimaru caught her around the waist, almost lifting her off of the floor as he held her back.

"What the hell, Jiraiya?" she shouted.

Jiraiya raised his hands sheepishly and stayed back by the door.

"Tsunade," Orochimaru said calmly. "He deserves it, but you're still recovering. Calm down."

"Guys, come on," Jiraiya said. "You can't be _that_ mad at me."

"What if you were followed?" Orochimaru snapped at him, his tone sharpening instantly. "Or if someone saw you, or heard what you were trying to do?"

"Well we can't all be genius prodigies," Jiraiya sneered. "But I'm not that _stupid_."

He could easily see that Orochimaru was a lost cause and addressed Tsunade instead. "I was worried about you," he said. "Kakashi told me what happened and after what _you_ said when I asked you for help—" he shot at Orochimaru.

"Shut _up_," Tsunade sighed. She pushed Orochimaru's hands off of her but stayed close by his side. "Could we stop acting like children? I don't care what he said. Could we please just call it a night?"

Orochimaru looked at her and noticed that her face had lost some color. "I told you to take it easy," he said. "Lay down. I'll be right back."

With hardly any hesitation, Tsunade crawled back into bed. Her silent compliance bothered Orochimaru, but he didn't say anything and went out into the hallway, dragging Jiraiya along with him. When the door was closed, Jiraiya said quietly, "Look, I don't know about this sort of thing but… it's not that bad, is it? She'll be fine, right?"

Orochimaru headed down the long hall and Jiraiya followed. "Yes," he answered. "Whatever fool was put in charge of interrogating her might have misjudged how far they were taking it, but she's fine."

Jiraiya tried to recall who had been sent as Inoichi's replacement, but the face was unfamiliar. He resolved to find out who it had been as soon as he returned to the village. "Anyway, I figured I'd stay here, just for a little while, since I told Kakashi I was going out to look for her."

"I thought you might."

They came up to another door and Orochimaru opened it into a simple spare bedroom. "Just keep out of trouble."

"Of course!" Jiraiya went into the room and Orochimaru turned to leave but stopped.

"There's something I need to take care of tomorrow," he said. "I won't be gone long…" He trailed off, unsure of why he was even mentioning it.

"You worried?" Jiraiya said, interpreting his hesitation.

Orochimaru laughed. "It sounds foolish to hear you say it. No. I'm not worried." He walked away and Jiraiya sighed.

"Really, that guy…"

[X]

"Tsunade?" Orochimaru whispered. He stepped into the dark bedroom.

"I'm still awake," Tsunade answered. Orochimaru got into bed and she added, "Do you think anything will explode if you hold me?" He smirked and put his arm around her, pulling her to his side as he leaned back into the pillows.

"Don't be upset with me," he said slowly. "But… there _is_ something I have to talk to you about."

"Oh no…" Tsunade muttered. "How upset am I going to be? I at least want to be prepared for it."

"It's… a suggestion. How bad it is… that depends on you."

Tsunade held on to him a little tighter. "Does it have to be tonight?" she whispered. "Please, just one night—"

"I know, Tsunade. I'm sorry. I just want you to have some time to think about it." He stroked her cheek lightly. "Hear me out."

She took a deep breath, trying to quell her apprehension and nodded.

"The situation back at the village," he started. "You obviously can't return without a plan, and it won't be easy to get things back the way they were. However, not many people are actually aware of what happened." He hesitated, knowing the pain his next words would cause, but he kept his tone steady and his voice even. "I could kill everyone involved and anyone who knows about it. Of course, this would include Shizune and Kakashi."Orochimaru paused again, this time to gauge her reaction. She was very still, so still that she was barely breathing and her whole body was tense. He continued quickly.

"Another option," he said, and her breathing fluctuated, her eyes darting to his face before fixing again on the wall. "If you stay hidden until I'm able to acquire and master the sharingan, maybe then I could help you return to your position safely without killing anyone. But the risk is… significant, and it would take years."

Tsunade was quiet for a long minute and when she finally spoke, Orochimaru guessed that she was taking the time to steady her voice. "I see." She forced the words out, the queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach making her shake. "Is that everything?"

Orochimaru sat up and stared at her. "There _is_ a third choice," he said, and the conviction in his voice made her meet his eyes. "Tsunade, don't go back."

He had never suggested it so seriously and his intensity caught her off guard. "Orochimaru," she nearly stammered. "I ca—"

"You agreed to hear me out," he reminded her. She fell silent, watching him in the dark, and he continued.

"You can't live forever, Tsunade. At least… not without me." Tsunade laughed a little before she'd realized it. Orochimaru smirked at this small victory but made himself serious again. He had a point to make. "Eventually someone will have to take your place as Hokage. Isn't there anyone in that village you trust to take over for you?

"Think about it, Tsunade," he whispered. "It's as easy as leaving things as they are now. I left that ANBU alive. They know you've been taken. Let that be the end of it." He pulled her closer, pressing her tightly to his side. "You never wanted this in the first place. You let yourself get caught up in honor for the dead, but you're not suited for such things. Someone else would probably do a better job. Being Hokage is about making decisions based on what is right for the village. This might be the right thing to do.

"Of course, you have to be aware of what this choice means. You could never go back. They wouldn't just let you leave while they think you're under my control. They would lock you away—kill you if they had to, rather than let you go."

He could see the stress of his words pressing down on her. If he could have held her any closer, he would have done so without hesitation.

"Nothing needs to be decided now," he said softly. "Take some time to think about it, maybe talk to Jiraiya tomorrow. But for now, just try to sleep." He kissed her forehead but Tsunade rolled onto her side, turning away from him silently.

_How the hell could I possibly sleep now? _she thought.

Orochimaru moved to lay behind Tsunade and held her again. She did not pull away and he kissed her head lightly. _I'm sorry, Tsunade. I didn't want to do this tonight, but you need time away from me to think about it. My decision is already made._

Tsunade tried to concentrate on Orochimaru's steady breathing and not on the decision looming before her, but one thought kept crowding into her mind. _Is there really no other option?_


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two—Options**

Tsunade woke slowly and rolled over, reaching for Orochimaru, but she found herself grasping at empty blankets. "Orochimaru…?" she murmured, looking around. She was alone.

With a weary sigh, Tsunade got out of bed and got dressed. Then she wandered into the hallway, headed deeper into the hideout to look for Orochimaru. There was light coming from a room ahead and she called his name again as she rounded the corner. Jiraiya was standing at the stove in the small kitchen making tea. There was no one else there.

"Oh… Jiraiya…" Tsunade muttered.

"Tsunade!" Jiraiya said brightly. She flinched at his loud voice. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Where's Orochimaru?"

"He told me last night he had something to take care of today."

"He's not here," Tsunade said flatly. _Is that what he meant when he said he wanted to give me time to think about it? _She scoffed and grabbed an apple and a knife then took a seat at the table. _I bet he doesn't even have anything to take care of today. _She began peeling the apple absentmindedly.

"I'm sure he'll be back soon," Jiraiya said, pouring tea into two cups and taking them to the table. He set one in front of Tsunade and sat down, noticing that she had already removed all of the peel and was now sheering off thin coils of fruit and piling them on the table.

"Tsunade, is there… anything you want to talk about?"

Tsunade suddenly realized what she was doing and put the apple down in the pile of shavings. She was quiet for a while, working the tip of the knife into the fruit before setting the blade down suddenly and decisively.

"No," she said, and she gathered up the mangled apple, dropping all of it into the garbage on her way to the sink. She rinsed her hands and left the room without another word.

Jiraiya sighed and the steam from the teacups wavered. _I should give her some time before I start nagging, _he thought.

[X]

Tsunade went back to the bedroom and snatched the book of notes off of the table. She took it with her deep into the hideout, back to the room where she had found it. There was a large, comfortable chair pulled up to a low table, and shelves along the walls held more hand-bound books, reference texts, and scrolls. Tsunade dropped into the chair and opened to the page she had left off on the night before. Ten minutes later she was still staring at the same words. She had hoped the book would serve as a distraction, but she couldn't tear her mind away from what Orochimaru had said.

_He already killed two of the ANBU members who were guarding me. He would kill Shizune and Kakashi, Yamato, Inoichi, Taro, and that interrogation ninja. I can't allow that. I could never allow that. How could he even consider that an option?_

_No, he knew it was never an option. But his second offer… is that even possible?_

She left the book on the table and went to the shelves. One by one she removed every set of notes and flipped through them until the shelves were mostly bare and the little table was buried under crooked stacks of books. Tsunade sighed as she dropped the last one onto a pile and fell back into the chair.

"Nothing…" She folded her hands behind her head and looked up at the ceiling. "I guess it was a long shot. He doesn't keep his current research here." _I wonder if I could get him to take me to the other hideouts… if I'm staying… _She closed her eyes. _Well what other choice do I have? It's a few years or forever… or I could just go back, consequences be damned, and take what's coming to me._ She let that thought hang for a few moments.

"Heh, Orochimaru would kill me."

_But is there any way to make it work? _She considered the obstacles. _They think I'm under Orochimaru's control and there's no way to prove that I've been miraculously released from his nonexistent jutsu… unless Orochimaru… was dead._

Tsunade sat up and grabbed a book from the table at random and began flipping the pages to keep her hands busy. _There would be no doubt of my freedom from him then, and if anyone still bothered to ask about him, I could claim that my knowledge of him was gone—vanished with the seal._

_It would be as simple as proving his death… _She stopped flipping the pages and set the book in her lap, staring blankly down at it. It was not simple. She could not prove Orochimaru's death without showing them a body, which would be subjected to an inescapably thorough and investigative autopsy, especially considering who Orochimaru was. It would be impossible to fool that medical team, "so it's not even an option." She finished the thought out loud and with conviction, trying to cut her imagination off before the image of Orochimaru in the autopsy lab could form.

It didn't work. It came too easily. She'd performed and supervised so many autopsies that the scene came to mind effortlessly. But to even imagine Orochimaru on the examination table…

"Stop it," she told herself, her voice faint. "That's _not_ going to happen…"

_A few years… or forever._

_He said there were risks to using the sharingan to… reverse all of this, but what does that mean? Risks for me? Or for him? For the villagers? Would it really be possible to erase this incident? How many more people would come to know the reasons behind my disappearance in that time?_

_Or forever._

_I could stay here. I would never see the village again but… is there anything there I would really miss? Anything more important than what I have here? I left once before, a long time ago. I wouldn't have gone back if Jiraiya hadn't shown up…_

_Someone would take my place. There are people I trust… but there are also people I do not trust. Danzō… Could I live with the possibility that by not returning, I am handing the village over to him? _

"Dammit." Tsunade snapped the book in her lap closed and tossed it onto the table. _Orochimaru was right. I need to talk to Jiraiya._


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three—Obedience**

Orochimaru crested a large, grassy hill overlooking a sprawling valley. He had been running for nearly eight hours to come to this place and he decided it would be wise to rest before dealing with Manda. He went to the bottom of the hill and sat down, and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep to the steady sound of the river that cut through the valley.

He did not sleep long, just long enough to recover his energy. The shifting clouds threw a ray of sunlight across his face and he stirred, getting to his feet and stretching a little. Then, with a smirk, he bit his thumb and dragged a line of blood across the seal on his arm. Manda appeared before him in an explosion of white smoke. When the haze cleared, the dark eyes locked on Orochimaru, and a vicious hiss sliced across the quiet valley.

"Orochimaru," Manda thundered. "You presumptuous bastard. How dare you summon me again after dismissing me like that? You think you can do whatever you want?" He lowered his head almost to the ground, level with Orochimaru and only a few yards away. Fangs taller than the human before him flashed as he spoke. "I'll eat you right now if you don't give me an explanation."

Manda could have closed the insignificant gap between them in a second and Orochimaru knew it, but he did not back down or step away. He was completely composed as he answered, "I thought you might get unreasonable. I summoned you here to fix that."

"Hn," Manda sneered. "How arrogant. I don't see any sacrifices. I want at least 300 this time—and none of your leftover experiments."

Orochimaru laughed and the snake seethed, baring his fangs.

"It seems it's been too long," Orochimaru said. "Since I reminded you of why you serve me."

Manda shot forward, mouth wide and hissing. Orochimaru felt the wave of heat before leaping straight up, out of the way of the snake's great maw. He struck Manda's head as he came back down, driving it into the ground and tearing up the grass as Manda skidded forward, propelled by his own momentum. He quickly shook off the blow and realized Orochimaru was standing on his head. Manda reared violently, trying to shake him off but Orochimaru crouched down, attempting to use his chakra to cling to the smooth purple scales. Manda countered with his own chakra, disrupting the technique and Orochimaru began to slip. Only seconds before Manda threw his head back, Orochimaru pulled out the Kusanagi sword. As he slid further down Manda's body, he dug the blade into the tough skin along his back. This kept him from falling, but he quickly decided it was not worth trying to stay where he was, and it seemed Manda had hardly even felt the wound.

Orochimaru wrenched the blade free and jumped down. Immediately, Manda whipped around and shot toward him again. Orochimaru moved aside and the snake rushed by, but his tail lashed out as it passed. This attempt missed as well and the heavy tail smashed into the ground, causing it to shake and buckle. By the time the dust had settled, Manda had disappeared underground.

Orochimaru waited, knowing Manda would soon strike, and when he did, Orochimaru was a step ahead once again. He jumped back, moving just out of Manda's reach, and at this failure, the snake rose up indignantly and hissed, "Is that all you're going to do? Hold still so I can kill you!"

Orochimaru stood his ground and stared back at Manda, silently challenging him, and Manda shot forward, hissing viciously.

At the last second, Orochimaru drove the Kusanagi sword into the ground at his side, bit both of his thumbs, and pressed his palms to the earth. "Rashōmon," he said calmly, and a massive, demonic gate rose up between them. Manda smashed into it and the valley shook once again, but the gate held and the giant snake thudded to the ground, stunned from the impact. Orochimaru dismissed the Rashōmon, picked up his sword and walked over to Manda.

"Don't get reckless just because you know you can't win," he said, and he sunk the blade deep into the snake's thick hide once again.

Manda slowly shook off his stupor and glanced around to find Orochimaru. When he spotted him, Orochimaru was dragging the bloodstained blade out of the fresh wound.

"Ha!" Manda twisted around to face him again. "I don't even feel that. What do you intend to accomplish with such a tiny wound?"

The powerful jaws descended on Orochimaru, and as Manda continued to strike at him again and again, Orochimaru continued to evade him, but for each attempt Manda made, Orochimaru found an opportunity to stab him.

Then, suddenly, Orochimaru sank into the earth. Manda halted his attack before he crashed into the ground. Then he saw it. The grass in the valley was painted red with blood. He hadn't paused in his assault to realize how weak he was becoming. He coiled himself slightly and saw the rivulets of blood flowing along the whole length of his body. Orochimaru emerged slowly from the ground before him.

"You're a coward," Manda snapped, slightly out of breath.

Then he was frozen, caught in Orochimaru's temporary paralysis technique.

Orochimaru ran the tips of his fingers down the flat of the Kusanagi's blade. "I could keep you paralyzed like this, and you would slowly bleed to death." He raised the sword. "I could cut out your eyes or your tongue. I could burn you to ash. I could even make you kill yourself." His voice became colder and darker. "I don't need a disobedient servant."

"Orochimaru…" Manda hissed, struggling to speak. "You bastard."

Orochimaru stepped closer, pointing the sword inches from Manda's eye. "I am willing to come to an understanding." Manda stared at the blade in tense silence and Orochimaru continued. "I need to know that you understand that I am stronger than you."

Manda struggled against the paralysis to no avail. "Don't… let your guard down, Orochimaru. You have your weaknesses. If you give me the chance, I will get you back for this."

Orochimaru laughed. "Good," he said. "I think you do understand." He lowered the sword and turned away, breaking the paralysis. He was about to walk away but he stopped.

"One last thing…" He turned back suddenly and slashed the Kusanagi's blade across Manda's eye. Manda let out a screeching hiss and began to thrash wildly, blood from his eye and body drenching the valley.

"Maybe you won't forget so easily next time," Orochimaru said. He dismissed the summoning and the great snake vanished, the last of the spraying blood raining softly into the grass.

Orochimaru walked over to the river and sat down beside it. He slowly lowered his sword into the water and watched the blood lift from its blade and wash away with the current. His clothes and body were also covered with blood and even as he cleaned away what he could, he knew he would not be able to hide the stains from Tsunade.

_I'll deal with that when I come to it, _he thought, and he tilted his head back, wrapping his tongue around the sword and pulling it back into his mouth. He sighed and stood.

_I suppose it would be all right to head back. _He started walking at an easy pace. _I doubt I'll make it back tonight anyway._

His mind turned again to Tsunade. _I wonder… if she's made her decision. _A strained anxiety drove him to walk a little faster. _I shouldn't have told her to talk to Jiraiya._

It suddenly occurred to him that Tsunade's sense of guilt and blind devotion coupled with Jiraiya's support had the potential to drive her away. _If that were the case… she could already be gone. _He broke into a run.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four—Choice**

Tsunade took her time reshelving the books she had piled on the table. She knew she needed to talk to Jiraiya, but she still wasn't sure she wanted to. It would be a difficult discussion. She slid the last book into place and sighed.

"I guess there's no sense in putting it off," she muttered. "It'll just be harder if I wait too long and Orochimaru comes back."

She started wandering through the hallways, but when she didn't find Jiraiya in any of the places she thought him likely to be, she began checking rooms at random. Eventually she had checked every room and hallway in the small hideout, but Jiraiya was nowhere to be found.

"This is impossible," she groaned. "How could he possibly be gone? Orochimaru's the only one who can open the exit." She leaned against the wall and muttered, "I really hope he hasn't perfected some kind of invisibility technique. I don't think the world could handle it."

"Actually, I do have a technique like that," came a cheerful voice from down the dark hall. "But let's keep that a secret." Jiraiya walked up to her. He was smiling but something was off. He didn't seem as carefree as his words suggested.

"Where _were_ you?" Tsunade asked. "I looked everywhere."

"I'm sorry." He laughed sheepishly but his smile faded. "Actually, I need to talk to you about that. I went to Konoha to look into—"

"Wait, what?" Tsunade interrupted, pushing away from the wall. "How did you get out of here without Orochimaru?"

"Oh, I've known about that hidden entrance he made for you for months," he said dismissively. "That's not important—"

"The hell it isn't," Tsunade breathed. "You're telling me you've been able to come and go as you please in this place for _months_ and _Orochimaru has no idea?_"

"Uh, well—"

"Don't tell him," she added urgently. "At least not while I'm around. Things are stressful enough right now."

Exasperated, Jiraiya almost shouted, "Tsunade, would you please just listen to me?"

She looked up at him, slightly alarmed. His expression was serious. "I'm sorry," she said. "What's wrong?"

"I went to Konoha to look into who was in charge of your interrogation," he continued. "Specifically the ANBU members assigned to guard you and the interrogation ninja who replaced Inoichi. I found out that the interrogation ninja, Kaorin, answers directly to Danzō, and two of the four ANBU ninjas were actually from the root division." Tsunade's face paled and she stepped back toward the wall again. "It's likely that what they did to you wasn't a mistake," he finished.

Tsunade stayed pressed to the cool stone, head down and staring at the floor, her fists clenched tightly.

"Hey," Jiraiya said nervously. "Are you okay? I thought you would be mad, not—"

"I am mad," she said, her voice low and seething with hatred. "I can't believe that bastard tried to kill me. Pathetic coward." Her hands were shaking, but not only out of anger.

"What am I supposed to do now?" she muttered. "How can I make this decision knowing someone like that is just waiting to take over?"

Jiraiya felt the blood drain from his face. _Take over? _"Tsunade... what are you talking about?"

Tsunade looked away, still reluctant to have this discussion, but it was too late to turn back now. "Orochimaru… asked me to make a choice," she started slowly. "No, that's not right. A choice needs to be made, but it's not because he asked me to make one. Something has to be done; that's all there is to it.

"Jiraiya, you know the situation I'm in right now. It's not good… I don't know what to do."

Jiraiya watched her carefully. She wouldn't look at him.

"That's not true," he concluded solemnly. "You know what you want to do."

"I can't be around forever either way," she said quickly, feeling his disapproval. "The village needs to learn that no one person should be more heavily relied upon than others. I understand the need for a designated leader, but right now I think the village needs to focus more on its unity among the people. Besides, you forget, I didn't want this job in the first place. _You _dragged me into it. Orochimaru's right; someone else will likely do a much better job and—"

"Just say it, Tsunade," Jiraiya sighed.

Her cheeks flushed and her eyes did not leave the floor but she murmured, "I want to stay… with Orochimaru." Warmth flooded her. Somehow saying the words out loud, allowing it to be simple, made the thought that much easier.

"But?" Jiraiya said.

Tsunade frowned, pulled back to reality. "But it's not that simple," she sighed. She began to lay out the arguments Orochimaru had made the night before. She mentioned the different options and her thoughts and concerns, and when she had finished, Jiraiya quietly considered the situation.

"What else could you do?" he said under his breath. "Tsunade, I'll be honest with you. I don't like this. But I can't see any other option."

"It's not a _bad_ idea," Tsunade said a little defensively. "I just don't know what to do about the village. If Danzō took control…"

"I'm not sure there's any point in worrying about it. Nothing less than killing Orochimaru could restore your position as Hokage now."

Tsunade looked up, startled. She had not mentioned her brief consideration of that option.

Jiraiya did not notice her alarm and added, "Honestly, I don't know that we would be able to defeat him when he's at full strength."

"No!" Tsunade snapped. "How could you even think—?" She caught the look on Jiraiya's face before he could hide it. Realization. Something wasn't adding up, but exactly what still eluded him.

"If it's the only way for you to go back… Didn't you at least consider it?"

Tsunade felt shame creep up within her. She had. She'd dismissed it quickly, but she'd still considered it.

"It's not an option," she said quietly. "We're not doing that."

"Then," he said slowly, as though still thinking it over. "I think your decision is made, regardless of what it means."

She could sense his disapproval again and it left her feeling hollow. She had hoped Jiraiya would be able to shed some light on this problem—that he would see some angle of it that she had missed, or would at least reassure her that the solution she was looking toward might not be as bad as it seemed. Not only had he offered no new perspective, he was against her choice.

"Hasn't everything I've said made sense?" Tsunade asked desperately.

Jiraiya crossed his arms and sighed. "It does make sense… But all your arguments for it… I just feel like you're trying to convince yourself. I don't want you to regret this."

"I'm not convincing myself," Tsunade said. "…I was trying to convince you." He raised an eyebrow at her and she continued. "I didn't think you'd like the idea and I really don't want this to come between us…"

Jiraiya was silent for a moment before he started laughing. Tsunade was not as amused. "What the hell, Jiraiya?" she snapped at him. "This isn't funny."

"That's just like you, Tsunade," he said lightly. "On top of everything else you have to consider, is that really so important?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "I've lost so much already, I don't want to lose you, too!"

"Tsunade…"

She was meeting his eyes now, her expression determined and unyielding. He smiled.

"I'm sorry I laughed at you," he said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I understand why you have to do this and I'm not going to hold it against you."

"…Thank you, Jiraiya."

Silence fell in the hallway for a few awkward moments before Tsunade spoke again. "Jiraiya… can I ask you something?" she said slowly.

"Of course."

"If you knew about that hidden entrance, why the hell didn't you just use it last night?"

Jiraiya laughed nervously at the dangerous glint in Tsunade's eye. "I did try that first," he explained quickly. "But it was sealed off. That just made me worry more. I knew he had you down here—I didn't know what else to do!"

Tsunade raised her fist and Jiraiya cringed away from her, but the tap he received on his arm couldn't even be considered a punch. Then she was hugging him.

"Thank you, Jiraiya. Really. I don't say it enough."

He recovered from his surprise and returned the hug gladly. "Anytime, Tsunade."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five—Unease **

"_Orochimaru… are you sure about this? I feel a… a little—"_

"_It will be fine."_

_Tsunade's knees suddenly gave out and Orochimaru caught her up in his arms and lifted her onto an examination table. He laid her down gently, careful to keep her head from hitting the cool metal. Her body was completely relaxed and her eyelids fluttered as she tried to keep herself conscious._

"_Relax," Orochimaru whispered. "You won't feel a thing. I'll be right here with you." He leaned over her and kissed her softly as she slipped away into a quiet sleep._

_Orochimaru stepped back from the table and began forming hand signs. On the floor, marked in dark blood, was an enormous, complex seal. As he activated the jutsu, dull light bled out from it and flowed into Tsunade. It gathered on her forehead and when it faded, her pale blue diamond had turned purple._

_Orochimaru stepped closer again and brushed her hair back from her face, his fingers trailing lightly over the new mark. "So you will forget," he murmured. "And…" He leaned over her once again, his lips against her exposed neck, and whispered, "So you will always be mine." Carefully, he sank his teeth into her skin. Warm blood welled up in his mouth and he pulled away. Tsunade finally stirred._

_Her eyes did not open; they closed tighter and a scream tore from her lips as she curled in on herself, clutching her neck. A black curse mark blossomed across the skin under her shaking fingers. Orochimaru quickly pulled her from the table as her thrashing threatened to overturn it. He sank to the floor, holding her closely against his body, trying to keep her still. Tsunade screamed again, the sound echoing around the dark room and suddenly—_

Jiraiya woke with a shudder and scrambled out of the bed, moving to the middle of the room. He didn't want anything touching him; his skin was already crawling from what he had seen in the dream. He was in the spare room in Orochimaru's hideout. He remembered why. He knew nothing was really wrong. He knew Tsunade was making her decision on her own, and he knew Orochimaru would let her.

_But is this really okay?_

He went to the bed again and sat down, recalling the look on Tsunade's face as she considered every angle of the decision.

_I should probably… make my peace with it._

His concerns swirled restlessly in his mind as he laid down and tried to fall back asleep, but gradually they began to fade as one new thought formed in the darkness. _She's not fit to be Hokage anymore._

He felt traitorous for thinking it. Tsunade was still his friend. But he also loved Konoha, and could not deny that Tsunade was no longer acting in the village's best interest. In truth, she hadn't been for some time. He was suddenly filled with overwhelming relief that Tsunade had chosen to leave.

_If she hadn't… it might have been my turn to make an impossible decision… _He closed his eyes and eventually drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

[X]

The next morning Jiraiya trudged into the kitchen to find Tsunade already sitting at the table. She looked up when he came in and laughed humorlessly. "You look awful," she said.

Jiraiya sat down across from her and muttered, "I didn't get much sleep."

"I know the feeling," Tsunade sighed. "I hardly slept at all."

Jiraiya was grinning again. "I see," he said suggestively, and it took Tsunade a few moments to realize what he was getting at.

"Oh, honestly, Jiraiya. Orochimaru's not even here."

His smile faltered. "He's not?"

"No."

Jiraiya leaned back in the chair. "He said he wouldn't be gone long… but I guess we don't really know what that means."

Tsunade sighed again, resting her cheek on her hand and Jiraiya leaned over the table to poke her lightly in the forehead.

"I see you're feeling better," he said.

"Oh." Tsunade's hand went to her forehead subconsciously. She had just reformed the Yin seal the night before. "Yeah, I'm fine now."

"That's good. You had me worried for a while."

Tsunade lowered her eyes to a corner of the table and said slowly, "…Hey, Jiraiya? I've been thinking… Could you do something for me?" She quietly added, "For Konoha…"

Jiraiya nodded, watching her, and she continued. "If this is really happening… would you help them pick my successor? And… maybe let me know how things turn out…?"

_So she does care, _Jiraiya thought, feeling a returning sense of guilt for his judgment the night before. _At least a little._

"Hey, wait," he said as the realization formed. "If I get involved they'll make _me_ Hokage!"

"That would be good," Tsunade mused. The smile she gave him was too innocent.

"Now just hold on a minute. There's no way I'm doing that."

Her demeanor quickly changed. "You didn't have any problem dumping the job on _me_ four years ago."

"Now come on," Jiraiya said. "It wasn't like that. I'm serious, Tsunade. I'd love to help, but becoming the Sixth Hokage is _not _in my plans."

"Then it looks like we'll have to be smart about this." Orochimaru stepped into the doorway. He had only just returned and, after stopping to change his clothes, had gone to find Tsunade and Jiraiya. However, when he heard their conversation he'd decided to stay in the hallway to listen.

"Let me guess," Jiraiya said to him. "You know exactly what to do."

Orochimaru smirked. "Of course."

"Well, let's hear it," Tsunade said eagerly.

"It's simple," he started. "Jiraiya, all you have to do is go back to the village and report that you have one weak lead on where to find Tsunade. Help them choose a _temporary_ Hokage who can tend to things while you leave to follow up on that lead. Naturally, you won't find her, and the temporary Hokage will become the Sixth. You wouldn't even have to return either if you didn't want to."

"Will you stop trying to get everyone to defect," Tsunade laughed.

"That aside," Jiraiya murmured. "It's not a bad plan. I mean, it could work."

"Of course it will work," Orochimaru said.

Tsunade could hardly contain her excitement. If things went as Orochimaru had said, she had little left to worry about. She could embrace her choice.

"How about it, Jiraiya?" she asked.

"It's definitely worth trying," he said. "I'll see what I can do."

"And if you fail," Orochimaru said calmly. "I'll kill the Sixth and you can try again."

"I have no idea if you're kidding or not," Jiraiya sighed.

"If Danzō becomes the Sixth, I might just help him," Tsunade said.

"Okay, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear any of that." Jiraiya pushed his chair back from the table and stood. "I think it would be best if I leave before I 'not hear' any more."

Jiraiya went out into the hallway but turned back. "Actually, Orochimaru, I'd like to talk with you before I go." He met Orochimaru's eye, his face set with determination.

"…I'll come find you in a few minutes," Orochimaru said and Jiraiya nodded before continuing down the hallway.

"What was that about?" Tsunade asked. She got up and went to his side and Orochimaru pulled her closer.

"Nothing. How are you?" He kissed her gently and she wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his shoulder.

"I'm fine," Tsunade said. "But where were you? You didn't even tell me you were leaving."

"I wanted you to get some rest and I didn't think telling you I was leaving would help."

"But where—?"

Orochimaru shook his head. "It's not important. I should go see what Jiraiya wants."

Tsunade looked up at him sternly. "Is this going to be _more_ secrets?" she scolded.

He smiled. "I'll tell you if it's anything interesting." He tried to move away from her but she grabbed onto his shirt.

"Not good enough," she said. "You don't tell me enough."

Orochimaru kissed her quickly then slipped out of her grasp. At the door he turned back and said with a grin, "You'll have to make me," then disappeared down the hall.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six—Parting of Ways**

Orochimaru went straight to Jiraiya's room. The door was standing open, but it seemed as though no one was there. He stepped inside and was suddenly slammed back into the wall. Jiraiya was glaring at him, his forearm pressed to Orochimaru's throat, pinning him back against the stone. In his other hand, he had formed a rasengan.

"What are you doing?" Orochimaru said calmly.

Jiraiya hesitated to answer, seriously considering following through with his attack. A few seconds crept by before he finally let Orochimaru go. The rasengan vanished and Jiraiya stepped back. "I don't know," he said.

"Was it really your intention to fight me?" Orochimaru asked.

"No." Jiraiya turned from him and went to sit on the bed.

"Then what did you want to talk to me about?"

"…I don't like this," Jiraiya said.

Orochimaru did not wait for him to elaborate. "Why?" he demanded. "It was her choice. It's always been her choice."

"What would you have done if she chose differently?" Jiraiya shot back.

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does," he insisted. "Give me an answer."

Orochimaru crossed his arms. "I don't know."

"What?" Jiraiya breathed, laughing slightly in his surprise.

"I don't know what I would have done," he said again. "I thought I did… It doesn't matter. She chose to stay."

Jiraiya did not miss the shift in his emotions as he spoke. "You better not hurt her," he warned.

"Are you threatening me, Jiraiya?" A smirk settled onto Orochimaru's face but Jiraiya was not as amused.

"Maybe," he said.

"She's not that fragile. She can take care of herself."

"Not when it comes to you," Jiraiya scoffed.

"Oh?" Orochimaru said, intrigued by the comment. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"I can't explain it," Jiraiya sighed. "But how did she end up being interrogated and suspected of being under your control?"

"I'm not controlling her—" Orochimaru said, but Jiraiya wasn't finished.

"Like I said," he continued. "I don't know how it happened, but I know it wouldn't have if you hadn't killed Inko."

"I would not have killed her."

Jiraiya looked up at him. He had a bad feeling about the conviction with which Orochimaru had spoken.

"I would not have done it without Tsunade's approval," he elaborated.

Jiraiya stood slowly. "What the hell are you saying?" he asked, his voice low.

Orochimaru stood up a little straighter. "That Tsunade not only looked the other way, she _helped_ me."

"This is exactly what I mean!" Jiraiya exploded. "I don't know what the hell you've done to her, or what you've said, but Tsunade wouldn't do this." He tried to calm himself, but his voice was still strained with tension. "Help me understand, Orochimaru. You owe me that much."

Orochimaru's reply was sharp and swift. "I owe you nothing," he said coldly. "And you don't know Tsunade like you think you do. You are stubborn, Jiraiya. You are fixated on who we were when we were children. You couldn't accept it when I left the village and now you're blaming me for showing Tsunade another way."

"Drop the high and mighty attitude," Jiraiya snapped. "You don't know everything."

"I know about this," Orochimaru said. "I felt the same way when you pulled her away from me four years ago. All of this could have been avoided if you hadn't interfered back then. She doesn't belong in Konoha."

Jiraiya shook his head. "I'm done listening to you." He walked around the bed and went to the back wall, turning away from Orochimaru to lean against the cool stone. "I really wish I could leave here tonight and never see you again," he said. "Somehow I think Naruto has other plans."

"Naruto… You just had to take that boy as your student," Orochimaru muttered.

"It's none of your business."

"It is when the boy tries to interfere with the preparations for my next vessel."

"Maybe you shouldn't have taken his teammate," Jiraiya suggested irritably.

"Much like Tsunade, Sasuke came to _me," _Orochimaru replied. "I did not take him."

"The kid's got a curse mark that says otherwise," Jiraiya muttered.

"Jiraiya," Orochimaru said seriously. "I would rather not kill Naruto. I know what it's like to lose a student. But I _will_ have Sasuke's body, and unless Naruto stays away, I will kill him."

"If Nawaki's death hurt you, it was only because it hurt Tsunade," Jiraiya said quietly.

"Don't be ridiculous," Orochimaru scoffed. "That was 40 years ago. Tsunade and I—"

"You've always cared about her," Jiraiya interjected. "Maybe not as deeply as you do now, though I'll be damned if I understand that relationship, but you cared. You saw what the loss of Nawaki and Dan did to her. It was after that that you began developing an immortality jutsu."

"This doesn't sound like you, Jiraiya," Orochimaru said slowly. "You wouldn't have noticed something like that. Who have you been talking to?"

Jiraiya turned to him, realization gradually dawning. "It's true…" he said in wonder.

"_Who did you talk to?_" Orochimaru hissed.

"Sarutobi-sensei," he answered, still awestruck. "Back when you left the village."

"I should kill you right now."

"It would destroy Tsunade," Jiraiya said calmly.

He was not prepared for Orochimaru's retaliation. Orochimaru shot across the room and slammed Jiraiya into the wall so hard his vision went white momentarily. When he recovered from the initial shock, he realized Orochimaru was holding him pinned against the smooth stone.

"Maybe it would," he whispered. "But maybe she would forgive me."

"Are you insane?" Jiraiya gasped, fighting the throbbing pain in his head.

"Maybe," Orochimaru answered. "So if you want to leave here alive you should figure out a way to stop living in the past."

"Fine. Forget I mentioned it." He forced his way out of Orochimaru's grasp and Orochimaru let him go. At the door, Jiraiya turned back. "I'll stop living in the past," he said. "I'll get the hell out of here and hope our paths never cross again. But you should know, I won't just stand by if you attack Konoha again, even to kill Danzō."

"Do your part," Orochimaru said slowly. "And maybe we won't have to."

Jiraiya cringed inwardly at the inclusion of Tsunade in his statement before he turned his back on Orochimaru and walked away.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven—Trust **

"I won't see you for a while," Jiraiya said to Tsunade that night. They were standing together outside the hideout's concealed entrance watching clouds roll in and consume the stars along the horizon. "I'm going to take this chance to travel some more. Maybe write another book."

"Of course you are," Tsunade groaned, forcing a smile. "Well, at least _try_ to keep yourself out of trouble."

"Where's the fun in that?" he laughed.

Silence fell between them, a frequent occurrence over the past few hours they'd spent talking as Jiraiya fought with himself over a topic he was afraid to address, but he knew he'd be leaving soon and did not want to go without an answer. He stumbled a little with the words, unsure even now about how to broach the subject.

"Tsunade, Orochimaru told me something… about what happened with Inko."

At first, Tsunade remained still and silent. For her, the question had come out of nowhere and she wasn't prepared for it. He waited for her to answer and eventually she said calmly, "As shinobi, our world is riddled with battles and wars. I think… I had made my choice even then, and as soon as I did, the fight with Inko became a battle between opposing villages, nothing more."

"You can't mean that…" Jiraiya said, desperate for Orochimaru to be wrong. "Konoha is still your—"

"You can't say it's my home, Jiraiya. You can't say it's my village. Konoha is… just the past. This isn't even the first time I've left it behind. I do wish for the best for everyone there, but I will defend my new life if necessary."

Jiraiya looked away to stare up at the stars overhead. There wasn't anything left that either of them could say about it. They said their goodbyes and Jiraiya left, heading back to Konoha to carry out their plan.

Tsunade went back down into the hideout. "So," she said, meeting Orochimaru in the hallway outside their room. "Are you going to tell me what the two of you talked about?"

"No," Orochimaru said lightly. "It was very dull."

"Orochimaru…"

He smiled and pulled her closer by her hips. "What?"

"Tell me," she said.

"No."

"Then tell me where you went."

"No."

"Tell me _why_ you won't tell me," she tried.

"I already did."

Tsunade sighed. "I meant the real reason."

"Why don't you tell _me_ something instead?" he suggested.

"I—what? Why should I?"

Orochimaru leaned down and whispered, "Your decision, Tsunade. You never actually told me." He drew back again so he could meet her eyes. "Tell me."

Tsunade hesitated very briefly but she knew this was not something she should use as a bargaining chip against the information he was withholding. "Orochimaru," she answered confidently. "I'm staying with you."

She had barely finished speaking the words when Orochimaru caught her up in a kiss so intense and sudden that Tsunade was left breathless and slightly stunned. She clung to him until her heart calmed but he kissed her again, lightly pressing his lips to her forehead.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Tsunade refrained from rolling her eyes. The question was getting old. "Good," she said simply.

Orochimaru smirked and slowly kissed her neck. "How good?"

"Mm, very good," she breathed.

"I'm glad." He pulled her with him into the bedroom and sat on the bed.

Tsunade didn't hesitate to follow. She crawled over the mattress to him and sat on his lap, her thighs gently squeezing his hips. Her hands tightened on his shoulders as they kissed and she was almost lost in the sensation. It felt as though every kiss before now had been through a shroud that was now, finally, torn away. It was reckless and thrilling and she never wanted to go back.

Neither really registered it when Orochimaru's hands slipped around to Tsunade's back, undoing the sash at her waist and letting it fall silently to the floor. He pulled open her shirt and Tsunade let go of him just long enough for it to also fall away. Her fingers crept under the hem of his shirt and pressed against his cool skin. She had to concentrate to make her hands move up to remove his shirt instead of letting them wander down.

Orochimaru leaned closer. His breath brushed Tsunade's cheek lightly before he brought his lips to the side of her neck, just below her jaw line, and pressed them softly to her skin. He could feel her pulse jumping furiously under his touch and laughed a little. _She's so excitable_. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing their bodies closer still. He wanted to see how far he could push her. With the lightest of touches, he dusted the tips of his fingers down her back and felt her shiver. His smile widened. _Too easy._ His hands continued down, slipping under the waist of her pants, feeling the heat trapped there. Her face was close enough to his that he felt the heat of her blush as well and he laughed under his breath. His kisses traveled further down her neck.

Tsunade slid her hands down Orochimaru's chest slowly. His skin had warmed rapidly with their closeness but that wasn't the change she was interested in. She let her hands drop into his lap and pushed them between his legs. Her fingers worked against the clothing that separated them from what her body now ached for. Orochimaru groaned quietly against her neck as her hands continued to rub against him.

"I know you like to be teased, Hime," he murmured. "But you forget that you end up teasing me, too." He grinned. "And I _don't_ like it."

"Hm." Tsunade rested her head on Orochimaru's shoulder with a quiet smile and traced her fingers up and down his arm. "Then why don't you do something about it?"

He didn't need the invitation. His hands glided around to the clasp of her bra and in a second it joined the pile on the floor. He grabbed Tsunade and rolled her onto her back, dusting quick kisses across her chest, his hands already unfastening and pulling her pants away. He was gentler as he slid her underwear away as well, and took a moment to run his hands down the sides of her body, over the uninterrupted expanse of skin from her chest to her legs.

"Mm." She sighed when his hands passed over her hips. _So close. Now who's the tease?_

Orochimaru brought his hands back up to Tsunade's chest, caressing her softly at first, but as she kissed him again he became more eager, his touch more fervent. She pulled him closer by the waist of his pants and he helped her remove them. They removed everything standing in their way and pressed closer together to share another kiss as though they would never have enough.

They paused to catch their breath a few moments later and Orochimaru took the opportunity to study Tsunade. He could see no reservations in her eyes. No regret. Just trust. The word occurred to him suddenly and settled in place as if it were obvious. She trusted him completely. Probably more than he deserved, but that didn't bother him. He saw now that it was that trust that allowed her to accept his plan—allowed her to be in his arms, not just tonight, but every night from now on. Complete victory.

Orochimaru grinned and Tsunade, oblivious to his thoughts, looked at him like he was crazy. "Are you that excited?" she laughed, running her fingers through his hair briefly to push it away from his face.

"That depends, do you still intend to tease me?" he asked.

She gave him a sly smile. "I'm over it."

"Good." His hands slipped lower and she leaned back slightly, allowing him to part her legs. Orochimaru began kissing down her body again, taking his time. He knew what she liked, and as long as he was the one in control he didn't mind the teasing. He slid a hand slowly up her thigh and she gasped softly when his careful fingers could climb no higher. His touch was soft, so light that Tsunade shivered slightly and squirmed under him. She knew he was trying to get a reaction out of her, but she'd never let him win easily. She held back a moan and instead gripped at the sheets. Orochimaru smiled.

"Hime," he murmured softly, kissing her hips. "I want to hear you moan…" His fingers pressed against her, rubbing gently, but she bit her lip and closed her eyes.

"Nn…"

_Stubborn woman, _Orochimaru thought. His tongue slid out and slipped down between her legs, the tip flicking quickly against her clit.

"Ah—!" Tsunade gasped. "Orochimaru!"

"Hmm… closer," Orochimaru murmured. He licked at her with more force and she quickly abandoned her pride, rewarding him with a low moan and slipping her fingers into his hair.

"Mm, Hime…" Orochimaru groaned. He pushed a finger inside her and she moaned again, pleading for more.

The wet heat within her had already chased all thought of further delay from Orochimaru's mind. He pulled his finger out and repositioned himself between her legs. She kept her eyes closed to magnify every sensation and gripped again at the sheets when she felt the hard tip press against her.

"Ahn…Aah!" He pushed inside and she begged for him to go deeper. With a smirk, Orochimaru complied, watching her face, watching her body shudder with pleasure. Eager to see it all again, he drew out and plunged back in with more force. She was unreserved in her responses now—moaning, repeating his name—it only served to encourage him and he continued to thrust into her, his mind clouding with the feeling as she tightened around him.

"Mm… Tsunade…" he whispered.

"Orochi… maru… aah… yes…" Tsunade gasped.

Her head was swimming with pleasure, her nerves alive with the awareness of him, and a small, distant part of Tsunade's mind exalted in the knowledge that Orochimaru had found her freedom—that he would be the one she could rely on and that she could now be the one upon whom he would rely.

The thrill of that night was like none they had known. Absolute freedom. Absolute trust. Unobstructed love.

[X]

**The Breaking Point—Author's Note**

Well. This is an embarrassing place to have to put my author note lol. No sense ignoring the elephant in the room. That there last chapter was lemony. I've never done anything like that before so it probably sucked. *shrug*

So Breaking Point is finally over. I think this was my longest story yet. The next one will be called Return to Konoha, but I'll need a little time before I start that one up, and it will likely update more slowly than my previous stuff. Return to Konoha will also be a chapter story rather than a one-shot, but it should still be shorter than Breaking Point.

Well, I feel like this note is lacking, but I'm really, really sick right now, so sorry if I seem blunt today. Thanks again to everyone who reads and supports this series. I really appreciate it.

~DS


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